Tremendous progress in child and maternal health has been achieved over the past decades. More children today live to celebrate their fifth birthday, while fewer women lose their lives during pregnancy and childbirth.
But millions are still dying from causes that can be prevented with quality health care and strong health systems – like communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health conditions, injuries, malnutrition and environmental hazards.
Within and among countries, stark inequities persist when it comes to accessing live-saving care. Women and children living in poverty or with a disability are especially likely to be cut off from the services they need to survive and thrive. And for those suffering through violent conflicts, natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies, the risk of disease and malnutrition soars.
Through it all, demographic changes threaten to strain global health systems. As fertility rates drop and life expectancies rise, income growth is also shifting young people into wealthier – but not necessarily healthier – environments. The next generation of children will live in an older, more urban world, with more people dependent on those in the workforce as public health emergencies and climate crises accelerate.