Improving the health of women, adolescents and children was the topic ofdiscussion during a side event to the IPU-132nd Assembly, of theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) on March 31 in Hanoi.
Delegates at the session heard three presentations on the updatedGlobal Strategy for women, adolescent and children health (Strategy2.0); how the Global Strategy will be updated to be in line with the newSustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and promoting dialogues amongparliamentarians to foster development of the initiative.
Most IPU-132 delegates pointed to the persistently elevated rate ofmaternal and child mortality, as well as of unplanned pregnancy andabortion in several countries and regions, attributed these to a lack offinancial resources and education and cultural barriers.
Senior Official from the United Nations Secretary-General OfficeTaona Kuo highlighted new opportunities for integration and action inwomen, adolescent and children health in the transition period fromMillennium Development Goals to SDGs and suggested governments includehuman-oriented specific health targets in the set SDG criteria.
Dr Marteen Temmermen, Director of Reproductive Health and Researchfor the WHO, called for the end of preventable maternal and childmortality, especially within the first 24 hours post-delivery.
According to Temmermen, additional efforts should be made bygovernments, parliaments, organisations and individuals to preventunplanned pregnancy and adolescent abortion, provide early healthcarefor children and improve nutrition for women and children.
He also shed light on the role of parliamentarians in ensuringmaternal and child health by participating actively in the SDG agendadevelopment, reviewing relevant resolutions of IPU and boosting theirimplementation.
Vice Chairman of the NationalAssembly Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Van Tien shared Vietnam’sachievements two years post implementing the IPU resolution on access tohealth care as a basic right.
Vietnam hasachieved a majority of the 46 IPU criteria, including issuing theSmoking Law and amending the Law on Health Insurance towards thecoverage of at least 80 percent of the population, Tien said.
Additionally, the country has made concrete efforts to minimisematernal and child mortality by ensuring 80 percent of villages andcommunes have midwifery services and all children below six years of agereceive free vaccines, he added.
He emphasisedthe need to increase health insurance coverage, enhance education foradolescents in the context of booming information and early childdevelopment, and manage pharmaceutical prices.
The Vietnamese delegate also highlighted the role of parliamentarians inmaking social policies; allocating financial resources for socialissues; and ensuring the transparency of relevant programmes, projectsand strategies by strengthening their supervision and monitoring.
Others delegates suggested nations foster connections amongparliaments and communities in protecting people’s health while ensuringaccess to social services for all, especially healthcare.
They also called on developed countries to support developing nationsin building human resource capacity, healthcare services and financemanagement, among others.-VNA
Delegates at the session heard three presentations on the updatedGlobal Strategy for women, adolescent and children health (Strategy2.0); how the Global Strategy will be updated to be in line with the newSustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and promoting dialogues amongparliamentarians to foster development of the initiative.
Most IPU-132 delegates pointed to the persistently elevated rate ofmaternal and child mortality, as well as of unplanned pregnancy andabortion in several countries and regions, attributed these to a lack offinancial resources and education and cultural barriers.
Senior Official from the United Nations Secretary-General OfficeTaona Kuo highlighted new opportunities for integration and action inwomen, adolescent and children health in the transition period fromMillennium Development Goals to SDGs and suggested governments includehuman-oriented specific health targets in the set SDG criteria.
Dr Marteen Temmermen, Director of Reproductive Health and Researchfor the WHO, called for the end of preventable maternal and childmortality, especially within the first 24 hours post-delivery.
According to Temmermen, additional efforts should be made bygovernments, parliaments, organisations and individuals to preventunplanned pregnancy and adolescent abortion, provide early healthcarefor children and improve nutrition for women and children.
He also shed light on the role of parliamentarians in ensuringmaternal and child health by participating actively in the SDG agendadevelopment, reviewing relevant resolutions of IPU and boosting theirimplementation.
Vice Chairman of the NationalAssembly Committee for Social Affairs Nguyen Van Tien shared Vietnam’sachievements two years post implementing the IPU resolution on access tohealth care as a basic right.
Vietnam hasachieved a majority of the 46 IPU criteria, including issuing theSmoking Law and amending the Law on Health Insurance towards thecoverage of at least 80 percent of the population, Tien said.
Additionally, the country has made concrete efforts to minimisematernal and child mortality by ensuring 80 percent of villages andcommunes have midwifery services and all children below six years of agereceive free vaccines, he added.
He emphasisedthe need to increase health insurance coverage, enhance education foradolescents in the context of booming information and early childdevelopment, and manage pharmaceutical prices.
The Vietnamese delegate also highlighted the role of parliamentarians inmaking social policies; allocating financial resources for socialissues; and ensuring the transparency of relevant programmes, projectsand strategies by strengthening their supervision and monitoring.
Others delegates suggested nations foster connections amongparliaments and communities in protecting people’s health while ensuringaccess to social services for all, especially healthcare.
They also called on developed countries to support developing nationsin building human resource capacity, healthcare services and financemanagement, among others.-VNA
