Technical partners and global health leaders during the REACH high-level roundtable on integrated child survival strategies at WHA78 in Geneva. Photo courtesy
Ministers of Health and their representatives from sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia gathered on the margins of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) to reaffirm their leadership on child survival and advance integrated strategies to reach more children with life-saving care.
The high-level ministerial roundtable, titled “Integrating Child Survival Delivery Strategies to Maximize Effectiveness and Save Lives”, was co-hosted by Mali’s Ministry of Health, the Centre for Vaccine Development, and the REACH Network (www.REACHNetwork.Africa).
It convened Ministers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mali, and Niger, with representation from Burkina Faso, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Senegal.
“This moment is about action. The cause could not be more important or more urgent as millions of African children continue to die every year from causes we can prevent,” said Colonel Dr. Assa Badiallo Touré, Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Mali.
“National leadership, regional collaboration and integration of programmes for child survival can have a lasting, equitable and profound impact. We owe the children of Africa no less. This must stir us to action through leadership, solidarity, and the courage to do things differently.”
In the context of shrinking donor funding and rising health needs, the ministers reiterated the urgent need to integrate the delivery of life-saving interventions such as immunization, nutrition, and azithromycin administration into aligned national strategies.
Discussions highlighted the importance of breaking silos and building coordinated platforms that serve children and families more effectively.
Representatives from global partners, including UNICEF, PMNCH, ITI, WHO, Uniting to Combat NTDs, PANTHER, and Save the Children, also took part in the discussion.
They shared insights on the critical role of cross-border collaboration, noting that countries across the region face similar challenges and opportunities.
They also emphasized that progress requires a multisectoral approach, linking health delivery to enabling factors such as energy access, WASH, and infrastructure.
The event concluded with a shared commitment from ministers and partners to continue dialogue on integrating child survival, maternal, and neonatal interventions.
Professor Samba Sow, REACH co-chair and CVD-Mali Director, added:
“We are witnessing a growing movement of African-led solutions, rooted in equity, evidence, and national ownership. The countries represented at this event are leading the way in proving that integrating the delivery of child survival interventions is cost-effective and, crucially, that it works.”
Participants agreed to coordinate follow-up discussions aimed at identifying in-country roadblocks and exploring opportunities for cross-country collaboration to track progress, scale innovations, and elevate child survival as a global health priority.
The ministerial gathering affirmed that child survival must be driven by countries, not projects.
Integration of interventions and services is highly effective, but must also be aligned with functional systems.
This requires collaboration across borders and sectors (including WASH, energy, and infrastructure) as well as accountability and transparency.
These are the non-negotiables if every child in need is to be reached.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of REACH Network.
About REACH:
The REACH Network(Resiliency through Azithromycin for Child Survival) is a regional and international collaboration dedicated to reducing child mortality through the mass administration of azithromycin. By uniting researchers, policymakers, and public health professionals, REACH aims to implement effective, evidence-based interventions to improve child survival rates, particularly in high-mortality settings.
