By Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for urgent, coordinated global action to protect the health and rights of women, children and adolescents, warning that failure to act will not only cost lives, but also undermine social stability and economic prosperity for generations.
Addressing the United Nations Population Fund and Global Leaders Network on Investing in Peace: Health for Adolescent Youth and Women, held on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit in Yokohama, Ramaphosa outlined an agenda aimed at reversing setbacks in global health outcomes, and ensuring sustainable progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking in his capacity as chair of the Global Leaders Network for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, alongside fellow member states Ethiopia and Nigeria, Ramaphosa stressed that the wellbeing of vulnerable groups must remain central to global development efforts.
“The Global Leaders Network is a coalition of heads of state and government united by the conviction that the health, dignity and potential of women, children and adolescents are the cornerstones of a fair, prosperous and peaceful world,” Ramaphosa said.
He expressed deep concern that millions of women, children and adolescents continued to die from preventable causes despite the availability of proven interventions.
Avoidable deaths reflected failures of policy and administration, the president said.
“Too many women still die in childbirth of preventable causes. Too many children and adolescents still suffer and die from illnesses we know how to prevent or treat. These are not inevitable tragedies,” he said.
Ramaphosa said that saving lives was a matter of political will. He called on governments to recommit themselves to the principle that “no woman, child or adolescent should die of preventable causes”.
To translate moral conviction into practical action, Ramaphosa announced that the Global Leaders Network has identified three immediate priorities.
Women, children and adolescents must be at the centre of universal health coverage, the president said.
He said health systems must be safe, effective and responsive to the lived realities of those most in need, particularly marginalised and vulnerable populations.
In terms of increasing investment in health and with global development assistance shrinking, Ramaphosa urged countries to strengthen domestic health financing while also calling for solidarity through multilateral funding.
He floated the idea of a gap financing mechanism to support countries most affected by the withdrawal of official aid.
In terms of upholding sexual and reproductive health rights, the president warned that restricting access to safe abortions and reproductive care carried devastating consequences, including preventable deaths, infertility and long-term health complications.
“Every woman has autonomy over her sexuality and reproductive choices. Every adolescent should get comprehensive sexual education,” Ramaphosa stressed.
Ramaphosa also highlighted the importance of integrating health into wider development and climate resilience strategies.
He argued that climate change exacerbated health vulnerabilities, making resilient health systems essential for adaptation, recovery and long-term sustainability.
In addition, he championed investment in digital health and innovation as a way to bridge persistent gaps in access, particularly for rural and underserved communities.
Calling for a united front among governments, international institutions, civil society and the private sector, Ramaphosa laid out four guiding convictions for the global community to uphold.
They are protecting and expanding funding for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, even amid competing global priorities; integrating health into broader development and climate policies; investing in digital health solutions to expand access and equity; and ensuring accountability mechanisms that translate commitments into measurable improvements.
Ramaphosa concluded by framing women, children and adolescents as the foundation of future progress, stressing that bold, coordinated action in their favour would generate far-reaching social and economic dividends.
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