Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival

The second Countdown to 2015 Conference will open a window of opportunities for the global community to put the issues of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) on the agenda of the highest-level of decision- and policy-makers by releasing groundbreaking information on the latest state of the global progress towards MDGs 4 and 5. This event is envisaged to become an important milestone following a wave of recent international advocacy efforts to mobilize global commitment and actions in MNCH.

The conference will be organized around a series of plenary sessions that cover the main topics addressed by the working groups, i.e. intervention coverage, equity, health systems and human resources, financial flows and aid harmonization. Special emphasis will be put on parallel sessions to present country case studies and examples of successful experiences. The conference will provide a venue for discussion and the exchange of views and ideas among the participants. Understanding the mechanisms that favor the promotion of MNCH in particular settings and exchanging views on best practices at the country level are of particular importance to the conference.

In conjunction with the Inter-Parliamentary Union:

The decision to organize the Second Countdown to 2015 Conference in Cape Town, South Africa is based on the fact that countries in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality. While there is evidence that some countries have been successful in accelerating progress, the situation in many countries is stagnating or even reversing. Hosting a conference on the African continent will hopefully facilitate the participation of many country delegations.

The Countdown to 2015 Conference will take place in conjunction with the 118th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which is organized in Cape Town, South Africa on 13-18 April 2008 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The IPU Assembly will gather more than 1,000 Parliamentarians from all countries and this represents a great opportunity for the Countdown to sensitize decision- and policy-makers to MNCH issues.

A special two-hour session will take place on Thursday, 17 April 2008 between the Countdown to 2015 participants and a delegation of IPU Parliamentarians – in particular with Parliamentarians of the 68 priority countries that are addressed in the Countdown coverage report. Such an exchange will hope to prompt Parliamentarians to take action on MNCH upon their return home.