February 11, 2015
Updated February 12, 2015
New York, NY - On February 11-12, the Inaugural World Women's Health and Development Forum brought together world leaders, United Nations agencies, scientists, healthcare professionals, and members of civil society, the media and the private sector to discuss ways to sustainably develop and promote the health of women and girls.
Dedicated to "Post-2015 Desired Outcomes," this high-level forum identified challenges and concrete actions for the health and development of women and girls. Hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the forum was founded by Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite and organized by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust and the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
During a session on global policy-making for women's health, Dr. Gavin Yamey of the Commission on Investing in Health (CIH) spoke on achieving a grand convergence in women's health by 2035. He presented evidence from the CIH's Global Health 2035 report, outlining policies needed to dramatically improve the health of women and girls within one generation. Dr. Yamey's presentation slides are available online.
Video from this session on "Global Policy-making for Women's Healthcare and Reform" can be viewed via UN Web TV. Dr. Yamey's remarks begin at the 43 minute mark.
This session was moderated by Hon. Judge Elizabeth Strong and included Professor Ashish Jha from the Harvard School of Public Health, Ms. Judith Arenas from the Intl. Development Law Organization, Mr. Martín Sabignoso from Argentina's Ministry of Health, Mrs. Nelisiwe Vilakazi from South Africa's Department of Social Development, Ms. Kate Roberts from PSI, and Ms. Katja Iversen from Women Deliver.
Other sessions addressed sustainable development, media and lifestyle, and empowerment in science and the economy. The forum's full agenda and speaker list is available on the forum's website, and video from other sessions can be viewed on UN Web TV.