World Health Assembly’s COVID-19 Response Urges Leaders to Strengthen the Voices of Women

Every Woman Every Child fully supports the COVID-19 response plan laid out in a resolution at the 73rd World Health Assembly held this week. 

The Resolution calls for unity and solidarity at all levels to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasizes the importance of meeting the needs of low- and middle-income countries and promises to support all countries in the implementation of their multisectoral national action plans and in strengthening their health systems. 

Importantly, the Resolution acknowledges the need to ensure fair distribution of all quality essential health technologies to tackle the pandemic. In doing so, we are taking critical steps to protect vulnerable populations, particularly women, who represent the majority of the health workforce, children and adolescents. 

It prioritizes the importance of continuing to support sexual and reproductive health and urges leaders to strengthen actions to involve women’s participation in all stages of decision-making processes, and mainstream a gender perspective.

The Resolution also calls for increased collaboration to promote both private sector and government-funded research and development. Innovation is key to combating this pandemic and to that end, the Every Woman Every Child Innovation Marketplace will continue to play a critical role in supporting innovators working to safeguard maternal and child health.

“Every Woman Every Child is dedicated to making sure women, children and adolescents not only see the other side of this pandemic, but that they thrive and transform in the midst of this response,” said Vivian Lopez, Executive Coordinator of Every Woman Every Child. “United, we will stop COVID-19 and continue our progress to achieving the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.” 

For information on Every Woman Every Child’s response to COVID-19 please see https://www.everywomaneverychild.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-covid-19/