DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 28 -- AFRICA cannot achieve sustainable development while millions of women and children continue to face preventable deaths and unequal access to essential healthcare.

Maternal and child health must, therefore, move from being treated as a sectoral concern to becoming a central pillar of the continents development agenda.

The message emerging from the high-level SHE RISES meeting in New York is both timely and important: African countries must take greater ownership of the health and dignity of women and children.

Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndeitwahs call for stronger domestic financing is particularly significant. Reliance on external assistance may provide valuable support, but it cannot be the foundation ...