Strategic Framework for Improving Newborn and Child Health in the Southeast Asia Region (2024-2030)

overview

The WHO Southeast Asia Regional Strategic Framework for Improving Newborn and Child Health was established to provide guidance to Member States (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). [DPR Korea]India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste) to develop and strengthen national strategies and plans to improve the health and development of newborns and children. The Strategic Framework advocates that Member States integrate an inclusive child health and development perspective into their policies and actions and ensure that governments are committed to giving every child a healthy start in life, in line with children’s rights and general social and economic development goals. It emphasizes the importance of assessing the situation on the ground in order to take appropriate measures and underlines the need for cross-sectoral collaboration, coordination with relevant health programs and strengthening of health systems.

Implementing initiatives consistent with this framework requires improved planning and capacity at both national and subnational levels to scale up evidence-based interventions for newborn and child health across the continuum of care. However, it is important to note that this framework is not an isolated strategy for newborn and child health. It recognizes that the health and well-being of newborns and children depends on the good health, nutrition and well-being of mothers and considers this as part of a lifelong continuum of care that is harmonious with maternal and adolescent health programs distally during program implementation in the countries.