Five lessons from the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference 2023

As more than 1,800 global health experts, researchers, health workers, community representatives, civil society advocates, politicians, and technocrats gathered at the first International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) 2023, the message was clear, progress has stalled. Mothers and newborns are still dying from preventable causes, and the rates of progress have slowed in the last decade.

Throughout the meeting, participants shared numerous pieces of evidence, novel strategies, and innovations to help improve maternal and newborn health (MNH). Data abounded, along with tools to ensure access to the most recent data on MNH at all levels. Several reports were launched, including the joint Every Newborn Action Plan and Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality global progress report, Improving Maternal and Newborn Health and Survival and Reducing Stillbirth.

What remains then? How do we use the information we have to advance the agenda for MNH? As we reflect on this conference, here are my five top takeaways and proposed game changers to drive global MNH advocacy.

As individual organizations, we continue to push for prioritization of MNH, but our efforts do not bear adequate fruits, as many times they are not unified or coordinated, and at times fragmented. Although we cannot align on all fronts, it is important that organizations jointly identify opportunities and catalyze an unstoppable front whose advocacy will level up MNH on the global political agenda in the context of universal health coverage and primary health care. Whilst we remain true to the commitments of our institutions, we have an opportunity to jointly advocate, augment each other’s strengths, and improve the health outcomes of mothers and newborns at all levels. As a community of advocates across civil society, private sector, and government, we have the power to collectively advance key policy asks to the right decision-makers to accelerate attainment of MNH targets at all levels.

The world is halfway to the endpoint of the Sustainable Development Goals and off track to reach many goals. We are also facing key advocacy opportunities, like the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in September 2023 and the next phase of Gavi’s 5.0 strategy to deliver on immunization targets. As advocates, we must be smarter and savvier with data to ensure the MNH agenda shows up prominently on global and national health agendas.

At the IMNHC, the community rallied behind clear targets: 90/90/80/80. By 2030, all countries should reduce:

• Maternal mortality ratio by at least two-thirds of 2010 country baseline.
• National neonatal mortality rate to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030 (<10 by 2035).
• National stillbirth rate to <12 stillborn per 1,000 total births by 2020 (<10 by 2035).

These targets are possible but will require advocates to pivot to use of such tools like score cards at community, national, and global levels and to translate data into a form that is consumable by decision-makers at all levels. If data stay in the reports or are lost to the social media chatter during the event, we will not get decisions made around investments that will change the numbers.

While “human-centered design” is a buzzword, rarely do you hear community voices at the decision-making table. There is need to move away from tokenistic stage moments for community members to supporting local civil society organizations to engage in policy, planning, and budgeting processes. Give women and young people a voice to speak for themselves, and not only during key moments but throughout the decision-making processes at global, national, and subnational levels. Dr. Mickey Chopra from the World Bank reminded advocates that no change has ever happened without the common person agitating for it. During the launch ceremony of the IMNHC, we heard the story of Treasure Lwatale, a patient advocate from Uganda, who shared her distress after experiencing a stillbirth at 38 weeks. While all of us were literally in tears, we were reminded that this can happen to any mother, anywhere, if we do not move away from rhetoric and actively engage the service users in defining the solutions.

Accessing data is one thing; knowing how to use the data is another issue altogether. We need advocates who are capacitated to ensure data-driven advocacy to improve maternal and newborn outcomes. Kristine Yakhama, a community advocate from Kakamega, Kenya, who attended the IMNHC, shared how she has leveraged PATH’s MNCHN Asset Tracker to access real-time data to influence decision-making at the subnational level. As a result of this advocacy, the county government has increased allocation of resources for family planning and MNH. How do we better support more advocates like Kristine in all geographies and at all levels?

The year 2030 is not far. What we have achieved since the onset of the Sustainable Development Goals is commendable, but more needs to be done. Throughout the conference, it was clear that progress has plateaued. We can blame it on COVID-19, climate change, gender-related barriers, and other challenges of this century, but what is for sure is that we need to urgently rebuild resilient primary health care systems that can withstand any challenge, no matter the magnitude. We need to move in overdrive mode because the targets remain ambitious, yet 2030 is not far off. Every lost second means a mother or newborn dying from a preventable cause. World leaders need to recommit to ensure we move the targets at the global level. National leaders need to implement what they proposed in the national plans. Community members need to raise their voices for the attention of decision-makers—and we do not have the luxury of time. Everything needs to be done now. 2030 is not far.