Women’s, children’s
and adolescents’ health:

status update and strategic priorities

Country data and global estimates for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health are most complete in areas that attracted particular attention during the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era, such as child and maternal mortality and reproductive health. With the enlarged compass of the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (EWEC Global Strategy) and the SDGs, data now need to be strengthened on mortality, morbidity and well-being, as well as on services, systems and social and environmental determinants related to progress towards the targets for 2030 (Figure 2).

This chapter provides an overview of the current state of women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being globally, and highlights strategic gaps and priorities.

Figure 2. EWEC Global Strategy objectives and related SDG targets

Survive

End preventable deaths
- Reduce global maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100000 live births (SDG 3.1)
- Reduce newborn mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1000 live births in every country (SDG 3.2)
- Reduce under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1000 live births in every country (SDG 3.2)
- End epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases and other communicable diseases (SDG 3.3)
- Reduce by one third premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases and promote mental health and well-being (SDG 3.4)
Thrive

Ensure health and well-being
- End all forms of malnutrition and address the nutritional needs of children, adolescent girls, and pregnant and lactating women (SDG 2.2)
- Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services (including for family planning) and rights (SDGs 3.7 and 5.6)
- Ensure that all girls and boys have access to good-quality early childhood development (SDG 4.2)
- Substantially reduce pollution-related deaths and illnesses (SDG 3.9)
- Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection and access to good-quality essential services, medicines and vaccines (SDG 3.8)
Transform

Ensure health and well-being
- Eradicate extreme poverty (SDG 1.1)
- Ensure that all girls and boys complete primary and secondary education (SDG 4.1)
- Eliminate all harmful practices, discrimination and violence against women and girls (SDG 5.2 and 5.3)
- Achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water and to sanitation and hygiene (SDG 6.1. and 6.2)
- Enhance scientific research, upgrade technological capabilities and encourage innovation (SDG 9.5)
- Provide legal identity for all, including birth registration (SDGs 16.9 and 17.19)
- Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development (SDG 17.16)