As I virtually round up my observation of the 2024 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund taking place this week in Washington DC, I am honoured to be invited to contribute to the Women Political Leaders breakfast conversation titled “Her Health, Our Priority: A Demand for Equity”, supported by Bayer, in the context of the spring meetings.

Women’s health remains a global imperative, and despite significant progress in recent decades, gender disparities and inequalities persist, affecting access to healthcare services, research funding, and leadership representation. The conversation, ‘Her Health, Our Priority: A Demand for Equity’ seeks to address these imbalances and ensure fair, equitable access to healthcare for all women and girls.

Good health is a key aspect of wellbeing and a fundamental human right, and the World Bank’s Science of Delivery investigates on how to create the right incentives for high-quality healthcare service delivery throughout #LMICs as poor health places high costs on individuals, households, firms, and governments.

The Wellbeing Foundation Africa recognises that long term improvements in personal, social, health and economic education, alongside enterprise and employment opportunities, have a positive impact on the health of women and girls, and that of their families and communities. Through strengthening and expanding essential health services for women, including nutrition and wellbeing, improving policies, and promoting more positive attitudes and behaviour towards girls education and women’s health, The Wellbeing Foundation Africa designs and implements programmes which address the constraints to women’s access to care, while ensuring women are empowered.

Welcoming the first ever Health Day at #COP28, discussing Heat & Health with the Bayer AG Team in the ICC Pavilion, Blue Zone; continuing co-creation collaborations established with multi-sectoral leaders, as we contribute to the #WBG goal to support countries in delivering quality and affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030.