PRETORIA – President Cyril Ramaphosa has raised concern over the high number of women, children and adolescents dying from preventable causes, describing the situation as a failure of policy and administration.
He was addressing the United Nations Population Fund and Global Leaders Network on Thursday, where he said health remains the cornerstone of building a fair and prosperous society.
Ramaphosa pointed out that many women continue to die during childbirth from causes that could be avoided, while children and adolescents still lose their lives to illnesses that are both preventable and treatable.
“These are not inevitable tragedies. Every avoidable death represents a failure, while every life saved demonstrates political will,” he said.
The South African president called on governments, financing institutions, civil society, development partners and the private sector to renew commitments towards the 2030 goals. He urged stakeholders to safeguard funding for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health, even as global priorities shift, and to integrate health into wider development and climate agendas.
He further encouraged investment in innovation and digital health solutions that can close the gap for rural and marginalised communities.
Ramaphosa warned that the consequences of inaction would extend beyond lives lost, affecting future opportunities, community stability and economic growth.
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