FAQ

What is the goal of the Commission?

The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children aims to increase access to life-saving medicines and health supplies to save and improve the lives of millions of women and children worldwide.

What is the end product of the Commission?

The Commission produced in September 2012 a set of concrete recommendations for improving the accessibility of affordable, effective commodities for women’s and children’s health, with a focus on the needs of countries where the most women, newborns, and children under five die from preventable causes. By advocating for these recommendations at the highest levels, the Commission will build consensus around priority actions to save and improve the lives of women and children worldwide.

What is the follow up to Commission’s recommendations?

Technical reference teams are carrying forward the Commission’s recommendations at the global and national levels. One group was formed for each of the 13 commodities and the 10 recommendations, and an advocacy working group works to advance cross-cutting goals. working groups are tasked to move the 10 recommendations, for the 13 commodities, forward.

What is the connection between the Commission and Every Woman Every Child?

Every Woman Every Child is an unprecedented global movement spearheaded by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to mobilize and intensify global action to improve the health of women and children around the world. The Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health presents a roadmap on how to do this by enhancing financing, strengthening policy, and improving service on the ground for the most vulnerable women and children. The Commission’s work under the Every Woman Every Child umbrella supports the idea put forth in the Global Strategy: that we can all take action now – together and decisively – to save 16 million lives by the year 2015.