ARUSHA, Oct. 8 -- THE Vice Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), Dr Flavia Bustreo, has called on parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to take urgent action to ensure adequate funding for health services for women, children and young people, despite challenges posed by rising debt burdens and declining development assistance.

Speaking on Thursday, October 8, 2026, during a discussion on maternal and child health in Arusha, Dr Bustreo said a study conducted across 67 countries found that 80 percent of them face significant funding gaps in implementing health programmes targeting women, children and adolescents.

She said the funding challenge affects not only governments but also civil s...