Ramaphosa said the health of women, children and adolescents is the cornerstone of a fair and prosperous world.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says too many children and adolescents still suffer and die from illnesses that can be prevented or treated.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the United Nations Population Fund and Global Leaders Network on Thursday.
Health and dignity
He said 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.
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“The reality that we must confront is that 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. Just as every avoidable death is a policy and administrative failure, every life saved is the result of political will,” Ramaphosa said.
To translate conviction into action, the Global Leaders Network has identified three priorities for immediate and sustained focus.
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) August 21, 2025
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Preventable causes
Ramaphosa said the moral imperative is clear: “No woman, child or adolescent should die of preventable causes.”
The president called on governments, financing institutions, development partners, civil society and the private sector to push towards 2030 with the following convictions:
- To reaffirm and protect funding for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health as a core pillar of development cooperation, even amid shifting global priorities;
- Integrate health into broader development and climate strategies, recognising that resilient health systems are essential for adaptation, recovery and long-term sustainability;
- Continue to invest in innovation and digital health solutions that bridge gaps in access, particularly for rural and marginalised communities.
“The cost of inaction on these issues will be counted not only in lives lost, but in futures diminished, communities destabilised and economic opportunities foregone,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa added that the benefits of bold, coordinated action “will build social and economic prosperity for generations”.
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