Securing a Healthier Future: Global Leaders Target Malaria and Maternal & Child Health at UNGA80

New York, 24 September 2025 — On the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), world leaders and heads of state convened for a landmark event titled “Uniting for Global Health Security.” The gathering was jointly hosted by the Global Leaders Network (GLN) for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (WCAH) and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA).

The meeting came at a time when overlapping global crises are testing fragile health systems. From conflict and displacement to climate emergencies and economic shocks, resources are being diverted away from long-term health and development priorities. In humanitarian settings, women, children, and adolescents are bearing the heaviest burden, with alarming rates of preventable deaths and unmet health needs.

According to the World Health Organization, 260,000 women died in 2023 from largely preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-two percent of those deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The same year, under-five deaths reached 4.8 million, including 2.3 million newborns, while stillbirths remained at nearly 1.9 million. Fragile and crisis-affected countries with humanitarian response plans accounted for 64 percent of global maternal deaths, 50 percent of newborn deaths, and 51 percent of stillbirths.

Pregnancy-related complications, including unsafe abortions, are now the leading cause of death among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19. In developing countries, 214 million women who wish to avoid pregnancy still lack access to modern contraception. A recent Lancet report projects an additional 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if current trends continue, including 4.5 million children under five.

Speaking at the event, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa underscored the urgency of renewed commitment.

Since we met last year on the margins of UNGA, the challenges are escalating. Conflict, displacement, economic shocks, and the climate emergency have reversed hard-won gains in health and development. Women, children, and adolescents, whose wellbeing defines the future of every society, are bearing a disproportionate burden,” said President Ramaphosa, who chairs the GLN.

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Board Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), added that inaction would carry devastating consequences.

“If we fail women, children and adolescents in times of crisis, we risk losing the very future we seek to build,” Clark warned.

In response to the crisis, leaders called for bold and innovative approaches to financing and service delivery. President Ramaphosa and Botswana’s President Duma Gideon Boko, who chairs ALMA, urged for collective action and the development of new financing mechanisms to counter the decline in Official Development Assistance (ODA).

“We need a health accelerator, a strong, sustainable partnership for prosperity with the private sector and the diaspora. Let us make a political commitment and commit to being held accountable. We can make malaria elimination a reality. We can deliver a healthy tomorrow for women, babies, children and adolescents. The time to start is now,” said President Boko.

At the heart of the discussions was a proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Health Accelerator. The model seeks to bridge gaps in coverage and access, enhance efficiency, and direct resources to vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. Leaders argued that such a mechanism could help close the widening financial gap and accelerate progress toward health equity.

“Public-private partnerships can help us fill growing resource gaps and accelerate our progress to elimination. These partnerships are key to delivering sustainable financing at this critical moment and leading our continent to prosperity,” said Gambia’s Vice President, Muhammad B. S. Jallow.

Leaders from Kenya and The Gambia echoed that political will and locally driven solutions are critical in protecting vulnerable populations. They stressed that progress in maternal, newborn, and child health, as well as malaria elimination, will depend on African-led initiatives and long-term sustainability.

Partners from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also pledged their support. They emphasized the importance of African-driven solutions, including local vaccine manufacturing and domestic resource mobilization, to strengthen health security.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted the centrality of sexual and reproductive health in sustainable development.

“Let us recommit to the fight against all preventable death. With a focus on vulnerable people, let us unite behind the fight against malaria, which remains a top killer of women, children and adolescents. And let us not forget that sexual and reproductive health is a best buy for development, one of the smartest and most cost-effective investments any government can make,” said Diene Keita, UNFPA’s Executive Director.

As the world grapples with compounding crises, the event made clear that the global health agenda cannot be sidelined. With renewed political will, innovative financing, and solidarity, leaders pledged to safeguard the health of women, children, and adolescents and to accelerate the fight against malaria. The commitments made in New York signal a collective resolve to secure a healthier, more resilient future for all.