Dr Chris Morgan from our Centre for International Health presented his concerns on the emerging issues for maternal and newborn health in the region.

Why is the ‘Women Deliver’ conference a landmark event?

Almost 5,000 researchers, women’s rights advocates and policymakers met for the 3rd Women Deliver conference in Malaysia to influence the future development agenda for the health, rights and empowerment of women and girls.

This was the first time that Women Deliver has been held in the Asia/Pacific region, focusing global attention on regional priorities for the health of women and girls. Burnet’s Dr Chris Morgan was part of a panel session hosted by AusAID on emerging issues for maternal and newborn health in Asia and the Pacific.

The session also reflected on the role of research in regional health policy as the AusAID strategic research initiative, the Women’s and Children’s Health Knowledge Hub, comes to the end of its initial phase.

Conference guests included:

• Melinda Gates - Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Helen Clark, Head of the UN Development Program
• Babatunde Osotimehin - Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• Lakshmi Puri – Acting Head, UN Women
• Peter Baxter, Director General of AusAID

The Women’s and Children’s Health Knowledge Hub is a partnership between the Burnet Institute, the Centre for International Child Health, and Menzies School of Health Research to enhance the quality of WCH interventions in the Asia and Pacific Regions.