Advocacy

The Sydney Global Maternal and Child Health Network supports the following initiatives.

A Call to Action: Policy Dialogue on Planetary Health in the Oceania Region

To deal with persistent, emergent and escalating challenges at the environment and health nexus in the Oceania region, the Oceania Planetary Health Forum calls for a renewed action orientation for international, intergovernmental and national organisations.

Integrated community-centred health solutions; rediscovering the principles of Alma Ata

Roadmap towards ending TB in children and adolescents

The 2018 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis and the current revision of the Roadmap for childhood tuberculosis together present an important moment to consolidate and advance advocacy, commitment, resource mobilisation and joint efforts by all stakeholders to provide health care and address the burden of TB among children.

Addressing Pediatric Tuberculosis in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries

Tuberculosis (TB) is the number one infectious disease killer. Yet, pediatric TB is often overlooked as an urgent public health threat, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. In this episode of Take as Directed, hear from Dr. Farhana Amanullah, a seasoned clinician and expert in pediatric tuberculosis who runs the largest, private-sector TB program for children in Pakistan at the Indus Hospital Karachi. Dr. Amanullah describes the challenges in diagnosing and treating TB in children and adolescents and shares her expectations for the UN High Level Meeting on Ending TB, which is to take place later this month.

Listen to the Podcast

One Planet One Health

This soon to be released book provides a multidisciplinary reflection on the state of our planet, human and animal health, as well as the critical effects of climate change on the environment and livelihoods of people. Climate change is already impacting many poor communities and traditional aid programs have achieved relatively small gains.

Unicef Change the Game: An agenda for action on childhood tuberculosis

As part of the Sustainable Development Goal agenda, the world has committed to ending preventable child deaths by 2030. Yet every day, nearly 700 children die from tuberculosis (TB), 80% of those before reaching their fifth birthday. Treatment exists that could prevent nearly all of these deaths, but less than 5% of the children who need it receive access. Unicef published a brochure that presents key facts and figures about childhood TB as well as an agenda to end the disease in children worldwide.

View Brochure

WHO Ending Childhood Obesity Commission

The World Health Organization has recommended that a coordinated effort is needed to address the epidemic of obesity. In 2014, it established the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. The Commission’s 2016 final report outlined six key areas of action, five focusing on obesity prevention and one on treatment. The subsequent implementation plan provides a guide for policy makers and a recommended suite of actions.

View Final Report

View Executive Summary

Double duty actions for tackling the double burden of malnutrition

The double burden of malnutrition is the co-existence – in a country, a region, a household, or even the same individual – of contrasting forms of malnutrition. WHO has developed a policy brief that highlights the potential for "double-duty" actions – those that simultaneously reduce the risk or burden of both undernutrition (including wasting, stunting and micronutrient deficiency or insufficiency) and overweight, obesity or diet-related non-communicable diseases.