GHTC's statement to the WHO Executive Board on the Global Action Plan on Climate and Health

GHTC's statement on Agenda item 14: Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health at the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Executive Board (EB) meeting.Although the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health has been instrumental in guiding global efforts, countries must scale up their implementation of high-impact interventions. The Director General’s report highlights that malaria continues to be one of the leading causes of under-five mortality, draws attention to the “severe drug drought” in maternal health, and underscores the continued inequalities when it comes to access to quality care. While not highlighted by the report, we also know that newborns in the first 28 days of their lives are especially vulnerable to drug-resistant infections, with staggering rates of morbidity and disability directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). More broadly, one out of every five deaths due to AMR is in children, with 99.7 percent of those deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.With only five years to 2030, and many countries being off track to reach the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals related to maternal, newborn, and child mortality, we recommend that countries and WHO take the following actions:1. We call on member states to step up action to coordinate and increase investments in health technologies for women, scale up access to preventive tools and treatments, and include pregnant and lactating women in research and clinical trials to improve data quality and availability of therapeutics. As gaps in therapeutic options persist for pregnant and breastfeeding women, countries must prioritize efforts to accelerate the investigation, development, and introduction of better medicines for this population. 2. We urge member states to make investments in malaria research and innovation that include underserved populations, including children and pregnant and lactating women, given the many adverse health outcomes of malaria in pregnancy for both mother and baby, including on early childhood development.3. We welcome the efforts of the Global Accelerator for Paediatric Formulations Network, or GAP-f, and call on all countries and WHO to support its ongoing work, including facilitating the research and development of priority products on WHO’s Paediatric Antiretroviral Drug Optimization list. 4. We call on greater focus and alignment between this strategy and the Global Action Plan for AMR and urge WHO and member states to facilitate access to antibiotics and other treatment options for children. More research and development to combat drug-resistant infections is urgently needed. 

Withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) threatens to undermine America’s health security, weaken our leadership in global health innovation, and jeopardize access to lifesaving tools that directly benefit Americans.   WHO plays a vital role in protecting the health of Americans by coordinating global efforts to fight infectious diseases and accelerate the development of new health technologies. For example, during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak and the recent Marburg outbreak, WHO helped convene nations, scientists, and research funders to advance vaccines and treatments. Thanks to these efforts, the United States now stockpiles Ebola vaccines and therapies—proven effective through WHO-supported trials—that would safeguard American lives if an outbreak reached our shores.   WHO’s work also directly informs US public health efforts. Operating the world’s largest flu surveillance network, WHO tracks dominant flu strains globally, guiding the annual development of flu vaccines used by millions of Americans. WHO’s disease surveillance for polio, measles, and other global health threats similarly enables US officials to better protect our communities.   In addition to protecting public health, WHO helps drive innovation that supports American businesses and jobs. WHO partners with 70 US research centers across 18 states to support health research and innovation in the United States and globally. American companies benefit from these efforts: WHO recently prequalified a Hepatitis self-test made by OraSure Technologies in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and an innovative mpox diagnostic developed by Cepheid in Sunnyvale, California.  By opening pathways to reach other nations, WHO expands global markets for American-made products.  Withdrawing from WHO cuts the United States off from these benefits and diminishes our influence in global health. America’s leadership has been critical to WHO’s successes in advancing research, coordinating disease surveillance, and responding to global emergencies. By stepping back, we forfeit the opportunity to shape these efforts and protect American lives, businesses, and innovation.   Continued partnership with WHO is essential to safeguarding the health of Americans, preparing for future pandemics and health emergencies, and ensuring US leadership in global health innovation.