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WHO events addressing public health priorities.

Background In January, 2013 the UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO launched an initiative Saving the Lives of Mothers and Children: Rising to the Challenge with the aim of accelerating efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality in high-burden countries in the Region. A high-level meeting of health ministers of the Region, technical experts, academia and leading UN agencies was held in Dubai, which culminated in a consensus “Dubai Declaration” and a renewal of pledges for accelerated efforts on saving the lives of mothers and children in the Region. This initiative has been a catalyst for change and has had a positive impact on mobilizing national leadership and commitment to promote maternal, neonatal and child health. However, two year on, maternal and child mortality remains a major public health problem in the Region. Several overarching factors contribute to the continued high burden of maternal and child mortality that exists in some countries. These include lack of sustained commitment to child and maternal health; manmade and natural disasters and political upheaval; the need to strengthen management of maternal and child health programmes; and suboptimal use of already limited human and financial resources. National maternal, neonatal and child health programme managers play a critical role in programme support and implementation to tackle maternal, neonatal and child mortality. Therefore, to review progress made in reducing maternal, neonatal and child mortality, address its main causes and identify continuing challenges, a meeting was held of programme managers from countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region in Amman, Jordan, from 29 March to 2 April 2015. The meeting was jointly organized by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Office for the Arab States. It was attended by 130 participants from 19 countries of the Region, plus Algeria, together with experts from national and international organizations, and WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA staff members from headquarters, regional and country offices. The objectives of the meeting were to: i) update programme managers from countries on addressing the main causes of maternal, neonatal and child deaths using costeffective interventions; ii) review progress achieved in the implementation of maternal and child health plans in countries, determine enabling and disabling factors affecting the implementation of these plans, and identify priority actions for 2015; iii) identify country policy and programme gaps in order to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based interventions to prevent the main causes of maternal, neonatal and child deaths; iv) identify strategic directions for the post2015 agenda; and v) agree on how to integrate mental health within existing maternal and child health services.