The Action Plan for the Countdown to 2015

1. The Action Plan for the Countdown to 2015 Flavia Bustreo, MD, MPH On behalf of the Core Organizing Group for the “Countdown to 2015”

2. What is the “Countdown” to 2015 • Our vision was to create a strong independent mechanism for strengthening accountability for newborn and child mortality reduction • What we tried to do different was to create an open forum for debate brining together policy makers, academics, civil society, bi-laterals and multi-laterals

3. Outline • Focus on country level actions • Expand to cover the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health • Monitor the progress

4. Focus on country level actions 1 • Disseminate the findings of the monitoring report in the 60 high burden countries • Accelerate the coverage of interventions for maternal, neonatal and child survival • Through the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health Working Group on Country Support, facilitate the coordination of stakeholders at the country level

5. Focus on country level actions 2 Countries assisted by the PMNCH Country Working Group will develop: • One implementation plan • One coordinating mechanism • One resource mobilization plan • One monitoring & evaluation plan Endorsed and supported by coordinated funding Which will result in priority interventions scaled up and sustained

6. Expand to cover the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health • The continuum of care has two dimensions • across time, i.e. services for maternal newborn and child health • across place, from the household to the community to the health facility • This Countdown is focused on newborn and child health • Further methodological work on tracking progress for maternal mortality reduction  • Link with The Lancet series on maternal mortality reduction

7. Monitor the progress MDG No. 4 & MDG No. 5 2003 2005 2007 2011 2013 2015 2009

8. Monitor the progress • "Countdown to 2015: Tracking progress in Maternal, Newborn and Child mortality” in 2007 • Plan the next Countdown in the African continent • Focus the next meeting on maternal metric development and the reporting of newborn and child indicators

9. Monitor the progress • Refine methodologies for measuring critical indicators, for example, the tracking of financial resources • Develop the indicators needed, for example, human resources for child health and indicators for tracking political commitment • Use existing mechanisms for more frequent measuring the coverage of interventions, i.e. mini MICS

10. Strengthen the mechanism of accountability • Create a mechanism of reporting on progress to high level politicians in countries • Use reports to high level regional fora, such as African Union Heads of State Summit • Expand toward constituencies that are important at the country level • Use voices that are not yet fully leveraged, i.e. media, medical and other journals, NGO’s and professional associations and communities

11. Keep the momentum • Link the process to UNGASS and its intermediate 2010 targets • Continue to advocate for the issues, including the mobilization of financial resources needed • The Lancet set of linked papers on the Countdown • Begin in early 2006 through 2007 to keep the issues in the forefront

12. Keep the momentum We hope to engage other partners for upcoming Countdown events

13. This is YOUR Action Plan To make it happen we need COMMITMENTS from ALL of you