As part of concerted efforts to reduce maternal and child deaths the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with MSH-ASH, USAID and key partners, organized a high level side event in the margins of the Women Deliver Conference. The event was aimed at strengthening collaboration among advocates and partners in support of the AU Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), and to ensure that coordinated campaign efforts coalesce into accelerated action towards ending preventable maternal and child deaths. The session provided an opportunity to articulate the campaign focus in the post 2015 period, increase the visibility of the revised AU’s policy instruments in the context of other continental and global frameworks such and Agenda 2063 and the SDGs as well as promotes the use of the AU resources, such as the CARMMA website and the African Health Stats data platform as tools for strengthening accountability in the region.

Speaking during the event, the Head of the HIV&AIDS, TB and Malaria Division Dr. Marie-Goretti Harakeye emphasized the need for partners to work together to achieve health commitments across Africa. She reiterated the importance ‪of multi-sectoral approach to deal with the social determinants of health, noting the importance of strengthening health systems in the SDG era. Ms Diene Keita, UNFPA Country Representative in Democratic Republic of Congo lauded the Commission for establishing the data platform and was optimistic the platform will be used to hold African governments accountable for progress against their own commitments for maternal survival. She also called on the Commission to draw the attention of the African leadership to good work CARMMA is doing at country level to save lives of women and children in Africa Dr. Ishrat Husain, Senior Health Advisor, Africa Bureau, USAID acknowledged the importance of evidence to the AUC’s efforts with CARMMA. The panel led an interesting discussion, and concluded that CARMMA needed to utilize the data platform to hold member states accountable to ending preventable maternal and child mortality.

The Commission will showcase the African Health Stats data platform in a forum on Tuesday 17 May 2016.

Meanwhile, the 4th Women Deliver Conference, the largest gathering on girls and women’s health and rights for more than a decade, has officially opened with statements from the Patron the Women Deliver 2016 Conference Crown Princess Mary and Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. The opening session was followed by a lively panel discussion with Dr Margaret Chan Director-General of WHO, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin Executive Director of UNPFA  Ms Tawakkol Karman the Nobel Peace Prize laureate amongst others served as panelists.   About 5,500 participants are attending the Conference.