The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Week is always a busy and important time—as the global development community gathers in New York City, there are urgent topics to discuss, important conversations to have, and timely connections to make or deepen. mothers2mothers (m2m) was able to drive and contribute to discussions, through a small delegation spearheaded by Bupe Sinkala (an m2m community health worker from Zambia) and Frank Beadle de Palomo (m2m’s President and CEO). This year, the conversations took on extra importance thanks to the Summit of the Future (held just prior to UNGA) which was intended for the world to come together and forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard our future.

Here are some of our key takeaways from UNGA79 and the Summit of the Future.

The proCHW movement is gaining pace, but it’s now time to see policymakers deliver lasting change on the ground.

Three years ago, community health workers (CHWs) struggled to make it onto the agenda at UNGA. This year, there were multiple CHW-focused events, and words of support for professional CHWs from leaders including UNICEF’s Catherine Russell, GAVI’s Sani Nishtar, and Africa CDC’s Jean Kaseya, and from Ministers of Health from countries including Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Uganda. Policymakers have largely accepted that paid, professional CHWs can deliver remarkable results on the journey to health for all, and the conversation has shifted from “if” to “how”.

This is remarkable progress, and m2m is proud to have played our part—through individual advocacy and through active participation in coalitions such as the Community Health Impact Coalition, Africa Frontline First, and the Frontline Health Workers Coalition. But we need to continue to use evidence and personal stories to drive concrete action, and this was a key focus for m2m at UNGA79. Speaking at an event convened by USAID, the World Bank, and the Global Financial Facility on primary health care, Bupe told leaders: “I am lucky, I am employed by m2m. They train me, support me, pay me, equip me, but this is not the case for many of my fellow CHWs. I don’t want to be the exception, I want to be the norm.” At an Africa CDC event later in the week, Bupe doubled down, saying: “We CHWs are doing one of the hardest jobs in the world, and we need your support. The time for volunteerism is over!”

Funding structures need to change, and local organisations need to be trusted more.

Reflections on whether development funding structures and investment timelines have delivered the tangible change and impact we need to see on the ground to make the UN’s Global Goals a reality by 2030 forcefully cut through discussions throughout the week.

m2m was delighted to host an event at Goals House on exactly this topic, held in partnership with our longtime friends and partners at Cartier Philanthropy and moderated by Emma France, m2m Chief Growth Officer. Our panelists—Her Excellency Toyin Ojora-Saraki, founder-president of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, m2m Ambassador, actor, and activist Sabrina Elba, Sid Ravinutala from IDinsight, Tsehaitu “Tubi” Retta from the Obama Foundation, and Bupe Sinkala—delivered thought-provoking insights, challenging us all to think differently about partnerships, investment, and the tangible actions required to make meaningful progress toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Pascale de la Frégonnière, Strategic Advisor to the Board at Cartier Philanthropy also offered some powerful closing remarks: “we funders need to be a lot more accountable. We’ve got to listen to girls; they know what they want, they know what they need. The best we can do is to give them all the resources, skills, and knowledge they need to unlock their own power and success.”

Greater Joined Up-Thinking and Action is Needed to Deliver Progress for Women and Girls

One of the biggest disappointments of UNGA79 was the lack of focus on health in the Pact for the Future—the key outcome document of the Summit of the Future. This was despite sustained advocacy from the international development community. And this lack of joined up thinking was evident in many other spaces too.

Luckily, there were also many positive examples. The clear link between health and the climate crisis was covered in many spaces, including in a session convened by Last Mile Health and Johnson & Johnson which we were proud to contribute to. And, in an event ostensibly focused on HIV/AIDS hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), speakers tackled issues such as funding structures, a strong and well supported health workforce, and gender equity as critical to ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. But, if we are going to achieve the SDGs, and deliver a healthier, more equal future, we urgently need more of this joined-up thinking and flexible funding to help us tackle the root causes in an integrated way.

With just six years left to go to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we will remain steadfast in our advocacy for paid, professional CHWs…because we know the remarkable results that can be achieved thanks to our 23-year track record of impact. Now is the time for us, as a global community, to deliver for CHWs and the people they serve.