Recommendations for maternal, newborn and child health

The 2014 Report is the fourth annual report that the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) has undertaken since 2011 on analysing commitments to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health (Global Strategy) and their implementation. This year’s report focuses exclusively on the commitments made to the Global Strategy that were specifically expressed in financial terms.

The analysis in this report covers commitments for the timeframe of the Global Strategy (2011 – 2015).

Findings:

1. The number of commitment-makers has tripled, from about 100 in 2010 to 300 in 2014.

2. Financial commitments to the Global Strategy have now reached almost US$60 billion (i.e. US$45 billion once doubled-counted figures are removed).

3. Commitment-makers are making strong progress with their disbursements.

4. The Global Strategy has positively influenced international donors.

5. There are still inequities in the geographical targeting of donor funding.

6. Donor funding for family planning and other key interventions has increased since the launch of the Global Strategy, but is far from sufficient to achieve agreed targets.

7. Domestic expenditures for RMNCH (including family planning) increased but fall short of need.

Recommendations:

1. Efforts to mobilise additional resources from international and domestic sources for RMNCH need to be continued and must be kept high on the political agenda.

2. Funding should be focused on the most cost-effective, evidence-based intervention packages that have the largest impact on reducing mortality and that are currently receiving too little attention.

3. Funding needs to be better matched with mortality burden to achieve equitable progress among countries and healthy lives for all.

4. Countries need to further prioritise and strengthen efforts to self-finance their RMNCH needs.

5. Strengthen political leadership for family planning at country level to create support for contraception and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

6. Initiate a major final Global Strategy accountability reporting session at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2015 to ensure accountability right up to the finish line.

7. To strengthen accountability for RMNCH beyond 2015, a harmonised method should be agreed on to track progress against the post-2015 targets for RMNCH.