Assembly/AU/ /Decl.2(XXIII) Page 1 DECLARATION ON ENDING PREVENTABLE CHILD AND MATERNAL DEATHS IN AFRICA Doc. Assembly/AU/18(XXIII)Add.3 WE, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, meeting at our 23 rd Ordinary Session in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Recalling the outcome of the Ministerial Meeting on “A Promise Renewed: African Leadership for Child Survival” which was held in January 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Noting that the call for “A Promise Renewed for Child Survival” emerged from the Global Call to Action for Child Survival Conference convened in Washington, D.C. in June 2012; Recalling that the Maputo Plan of Action for the Operationalization of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Continental Policy Framework seeks to take the continent forward towards the goal of universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services in Africa by 2015; Noting with concern that the Maputo Plan was a short term plan built on nine critical action areas: Integration of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services into PHC, repositioning family planning, developing and promoting youth-friendly services, unsafe abortion, quality safe motherhood, resource mobilization, commodity security and monitoring and evaluation and there is a need to have a second round plan; Recalling the launching of the African Union Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) in May 2009; Aware of the fact that the African continent shares a significant global burden of newborn, child and maternal mortality; Cognizant that most of the deaths are preventable and that some African countries have achieved MDG 4 and some are on track to achieve MDG 4 and 5; Emphasizing the need for a renewed commitment and stronger efforts to accelerate the progress on maternal and child health; Convinced that preventable maternal and child deaths can be significantly reduced through concerted actions; Hereby Declare our: 1. COMMITMENT to End Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths by the year 2035 in line with Post 2015 Framework on Sustainable Development ; and in this connection COMMEND our Member States especially those that successfully