PPD’s presence at WHA79 reflected the organization’s deepening commitment to contributing meaningfully to global conversations on health systems strengthening, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health, and innovation for equitable development. Throughout the Assembly, Professor Adelegan attended and presented at several high-level side events, where he shared policy insights and lessons drawn from PPD’s 28 Member Countries. His contributions highlighted the practical value of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in addressing complex health challenges across the Global South, spanning shared accountability for maternal and newborn health, government-led health innovation, and the digitization of the maternal health workforce. Each presentation reinforced a common thread: that leadership, governance, digital transformation, equity, and sustainable partnerships are essential to improving health outcomes for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Through these engagements, PPD further established itself as an intergovernmental platform that not only supports policy dialogue and technical cooperation among developing countries but also contributes substantively to global discussions on resilient health systems, maternal and newborn survival, and innovation-driven service delivery. Professor Adelegan’s presentations made clear that the challenges confronting health systems today workforce shortages, fragmented service delivery, financing constraints, and unequal access to care which cannot be resolved in isolation. They demand coordinated action anchored in country ownership, regional solidarity, and context-sensitive innovation.

Beyond the sessions themselves, WHA79 held significant institutional and strategic value for PPD. As one of the most influential gatherings in global public health, the Assembly offered an important platform for visibility, partnership-building, and direct policy engagement with governments, multilateral agencies, philanthropic actors, and innovation partners. It allowed PPD to deepen its profile within the broader global health architecture, strengthen dialogue with complementary organizations, and demonstrate the comparative advantage of South-South Cooperation in advancing sustainable health and development solutions.

On the sidelines of the Assembly, Professor Adelegan held a series of bilateral meetings with partner organizations as part of ongoing efforts to establish a PPD representation office in UN Geneva, positioning PPD more firmly as a hub for global health diplomacy and multilateral engagement. In parallel, he advanced discussions toward securing official accreditation with the World Health Organization as an intergovernmental organization, a significant step that would enhance PPD’s formal engagement with WHO processes and open new avenues for policy advocacy, technical collaboration, and representation in key global health forums.

PPD’s participation in WHA79 reaffirmed the organization’s readiness to engage more actively in international policy spaces and to bring developing-country perspectives to the heart of global health decision-making. It also underscored a broader truth: that sustained presence in major multilateral platforms is not simply a matter of visibility, it is where partnerships are built, institutional recognition is earned, and the voices of the Global South find their place in shaping a healthier, more equitable world. Through its growing presence in Geneva, PPD remains committed to bridging national experience, regional cooperation, and global action in service of more resilient and inclusive societies.

The side event was convened at a critical moment in global health, under the broader WHA79 context of reshaping health systems through shared responsibility and locally led accountability. It highlighted Kenya’s experience in advancing Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) as a practical governance tool for reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths, while also promoting peer learning, digitization, and stronger coordination between national and sub-national health systems.

Professor Adelegan’s presentation, titled “The Role of Right Leadership and Governance in Ending Preventable Maternal and Neonatal Deaths and Advancing Health Equity and Justice: Lessons from PPD 28 Member Countries,” emphasized that preventable maternal and neonatal deaths are not only health outcomes but also reflections of leadership, governance, equity, and justice. Drawing on lessons from PPD Member Countries, he underscored the importance of political commitment, accountable institutions, equitable financing, community-centered primary health care, and South-South cooperation in improving maternal and newborn survival.

In his remarks, the Executive Director highlighted successful policy and governance experiences from countries such as Bangladesh, Rwanda, Indonesia, and Egypt, demonstrating how leadership and institutional accountability can help expand access to skilled care, strengthen referral systems, improve data use, and accelerate progress in maternal and newborn health. He reaffirmed PPD’s role as an intergovernmental platform for policy dialogue, technical cooperation, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and shared learning among developing countries.

Professor Adelegan used the platform to call for strengthened political commitment, increased domestic health financing, stronger primary health care systems, equity-focused universal health coverage, improved accountability and data systems, deeper South-South Cooperation, and greater women’s leadership in health governance. He stressed that maternal and newborn survival must remain both a public health priority and a moral imperative.

PPD’s participation in the side event reflected the organization’s continued commitment to advancing practical, country-led solutions to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and population health challenges through South-South and Triangular Cooperation. The engagement also reinforced PPD’s readiness to work with governments, global partners, and regional actors to promote evidence-based leadership and accountable governance for better health outcomes.

The high-level side event, titled “Digitising the Maternal Health Workforce: From a National Partnership to a Continental Ecosystem,” was not a routine conference panel, it was a focused, action-oriented dialogue designed to move beyond fragmented and short-term interventions, and to explore realistic, coordinated pathways toward a digitised, government-anchored ecosystem for the maternal health workforce at continental scale. The meeting also marked a significant institutional moment, with the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and Proximie, witnessed by participating ministers and senior delegates.

Professor Adelegan opened his remarks with a sobering reminder of what is at stake. Africa continues to bear a disproportionate share of global maternal deaths, with the heaviest burden falling on rural and underserved communities that are often the furthest from care. Behind these statistics, he noted, lie systemic failures that have persisted for too long, workforce shortages, uneven distribution of skilled personnel, weak referral systems, inadequate remuneration, fragmented information systems, and critical infrastructure gaps. These are not new problems, but they demand a new kind of response.

That response, he argued, must be rooted in digitisation not as a buzzword, but as a genuine strategic tool for transforming how the maternal health workforce is trained, deployed, supported, and retained. Drawing on concrete examples, Professor Adelegan outlined a range of digital interventions capable of making a tangible difference: mobile health platforms that extend the reach of frontline workers, digital workforce training that delivers updated clinical guidance at scale, telemedicine and remote consultation services that connect rural facilities to specialist care, artificial intelligence tools for predictive risk assessment and decision support, and digital payment systems that can improve both workforce retention and accountability. Together, he emphasized, these tools can strengthen communication, support earlier identification of high-risk pregnancies, and enable more effective, data-driven governance of health systems.

Yet Professor Adelegan was equally candid about the risks of the status quo. Too many promising national digital health projects remain trapped in their own silos unable to scale because of weak interoperability, limited sustainable financing, and insufficient regional coordination. The solution, he argued, is not more isolated projects, but a genuinely continental ecosystem: one that supports interoperable digital health records, cross-border workforce credentialing, shared digital health standards, regional training platforms, and coordinated maternal health data systems that can inform policy and investment across borders.

He also raised a challenge that is easy to overlook in high-level discussions: the risk that digital transformation widens, rather than narrows, existing inequalities. For digitisation to truly reach the mothers who need it most, he stressed that affordable devices, digital literacy training, language-inclusive interfaces, continuous technical support, and deliberate investment in rural digital infrastructure including reliable electricity and broadband connectivity are not optional add-ons but essential foundations. He further underlined the importance of data governance, privacy protections, and cybersecurity as pillars of trust that must be built into any sustainable digital health system from the outset.

Underpinning all of this, Professor Adelegan called for strong public-private partnerships and close alignment with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) commitments  ensuring that digital innovation is not pursued in isolation, but as part of a broader architecture of accountability and long-term financing.

In closing, he reaffirmed that digitising the maternal health workforce represents one of the most promising and most urgent pathways to improving maternal healthcare delivery across Africa. Success, he concluded, will not come from fragmented initiatives, but from integrated, partnership-driven ecosystems that bring together governments, international organizations, technology providers, and communities in genuine collaboration. PPD’s participation in the dialogue reflected its enduring commitment to advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation, strengthening health systems, and supporting practical, scalable innovation in service of better maternal and newborn health outcomes across the Global South.

The event, titled “Reverse Pitch: Governments Setting the Innovation Agenda,” was organized by the Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx) and brought together an influential mix of government leaders, innovators, investors, and development partners. What made it stand apart was its refreshingly bold premise: instead of innovators pitching to governments, it was the governments doing the pitching, laying out their most pressing national health challenges and inviting the innovation community to respond. By enabling Ministers and senior government officials to define the agenda, the model aims to accelerate solutions that are genuinely policy-aligned, catalyze targeted investment, and carve clearer pathways from promising pilots to sustainable, nationwide implementation. The dialogue was designed not just to spark ideas, but to forge lasting partnerships and co-investment that can drive long-term systems transformation.

Professor Adelegan’s presentation resonated deeply with the spirit of the event. Speaking with conviction, he made a compelling case that PPD’s 28 Member Countries must not be treated as passive recipients of outside innovation, they must be recognized and empowered as architects of their own transformation. He highlighted an honest picture of the shared realities facing health systems across the Global South: rising disease burdens, critical workforce shortages, fragile primary health care infrastructure, constrained budgets, and the compounding pressures of climate change and humanitarian crises. Against this backdrop, he argued that innovation detached from national priorities, regulatory frameworks, and real service delivery contexts is innovation that will ultimately fall short.

He outlined the priorities that cut across PPD Member States primary health care transformation, health workforce retention, maternal and adolescent health, digital interoperability, and sustainable financing. He called for a deeper, more deliberate alignment between governments, innovators, and investors, one that produces solutions that are not just effective in theory, but scalable and affordable in practice.

His remarks carried an unmistakable sense of urgency around one particular challenge: the persistent gap between pilots and policy. Too often, he noted, the global health community celebrates successful pilots that never grow beyond their original scope. Closing that gap, he argued, requires country-led design from day one, early alignment with policy processes, integrated financing conversations, and regulatory engagement that begins at the start, not as an afterthought.

One of the most compelling dimensions of Professor Adelegan’s remarks was his articulation of PPD’s unique role as a platform for South-South Cooperation. He highlighted the practical advantages Member States can offer one another: shared implementation experiences, joint procurement possibilities, common digital standards, regional innovation hubs, and peer-to-peer technical assistance. As an intergovernmental body, PPD is distinctly positioned to facilitate this cross-country learning and translate it into collective progress toward resilient and equitable health systems.

The event concluded with a call to action for governments to lead with clear priorities, for innovators to design for scale and affordability, for investors to finance transformation rather than short-term experimentation, and for development partners to enable genuine country ownership. PPD’s participation in the dialogue reflected its continuing commitment to advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation and to supporting practical, country-driven innovation for better health outcomes across the Global South.

The discussions were substantive and forward-looking, covering four major areas of potential collaboration that reflect the complementary mandates and shared vision of PPD and HIEx in advancing equitable access to health innovation for developing countries. A central outcome of the meeting was the agreement in principle to formalise the partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The proposed MoU would provide an institutional framework for collaboration across three strategic pillars: the identification and deployment of innovative health technologies among PPD Member States  including AI-enabled ultrasound, remote surgical care, gene therapy for cancer treatment, and new diagnostics; the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms such as blended finance instruments and technical assistance funds to build a robust ecosystem for health innovation and climate-resilient health systems; and joint convening and event organisation to promote South-South and Triangular Cooperation on health innovation at major international platforms including the World Health Assembly, the United Nations General Assembly, and the World Economic Forum. The HIEx legal team will prepare a non-financial MoU for joint review, with both parties expressing readiness to proceed to signature at the earliest opportunity.

In a particularly significant development, Mr. Kakkattil confirmed that HIEx would be pleased to host the PPD Representative Office in Geneva at the HIEx premises, providing office space and logistical support as required. HIEx also offered to assist in the identification and recommendation of potential candidates for the PPD Representative position in Geneva, and in New York as needed. This offer represents a concrete and immediate step toward strengthening PPD’s institutional presence in Geneva, a critical hub of global health governance.

Both leaders concluded the meeting with a strong sense of shared purpose and mutual commitment to translating the outcomes of their discussions into concrete and impactful results. The United Nations General Assembly in September 2026 was identified as the next key milestone for joint engagement, with plans underway for a collaborative event on the margins of UNGA. The meeting between Professor Adelegan and Mr. Kakkattil reflects PPD’s broader strategy of deepening partnerships with leading health innovation organisations to leverage new technologies, financing mechanisms, and knowledge networks in service of its 28 Member States and the wider Global South. As PPD advances its Strategic Plan 2026–2030, partnerships of this nature are central to its mission of ensuring that South-South Cooperation remains a dynamic and transformative force in global health and development.

During the meeting, Professor Adelegan formally introduced himself as the newly appointed Executive Director of PPD and provided a comprehensive update on the organization’s current strategic initiatives. He emphasized the critical role that Indonesia plays as a highly valued Member State within the intergovernmental alliance. The discussions centered on Indonesia’s steadfast commitment to advancing the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda through robust South-South Cooperation frameworks. Professor Adelegan expressed deep appreciation on behalf of the PPD Secretariat for Indonesia’s continued leadership and engagement, which remains vital to the shared mission of promoting sustainable population and development policies across the Global South.

The courtesy visit also provided an opportunity to explore new avenues for strengthening the bilateral partnership. Both leaders discussed the importance of leveraging Indonesia’s diplomatic support and technical expertise to enhance capacity building, experience sharing, and policy exchange among PPD member countries. The meeting concluded with a mutual reaffirmation of the commitment to deepening South-South Cooperation and working collaboratively to address the pressing demographic and reproductive health challenges facing developing nations today.

The meeting provided an important platform for reaffirming the longstanding partnership between PPD and UNFPA and for advancing a shared commitment to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Discussions were held under the theme, “Reinvigorating South-South Cooperation and Catalytic Financing for the ICPD Agenda Beyond 2030.”

The PPD delegation was led by Professor Joseph Akinkugbe Adelegan, Executive Director of PPD, and included H.E. Dr. Muhammad B.S. Jallow, PPD Board and Executive Committee Member and Honorable Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia; H.E. Lamin B. Dibba serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of The Gambia to the United Nations in New York; Ms. Angelina Kodua Nyanor, Member of the PPD Board and Acting Executive Director of the National Population Council of Ghana; and other distinguished delegates.

The exchange focused on strengthening strategic alignment between the forthcoming PPD Strategic Plan 2026–2030 and the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026–2029, with particular emphasis on accelerating progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights, reducing preventable maternal deaths, responding to demographic change, and advancing resilience through country-led and rights-based approaches. Both sides underscored the continued relevance of South-South and triangular cooperation as a practical instrument for sharing policy innovation, technical expertise and tested solutions across the Global South.

The discussion also addressed the growing financing constraints affecting population and development programmes, including declining official development assistance for reproductive health. In this context, the meeting explored opportunities for closer collaboration on joint resource mobilization and innovative financing mechanisms to support sustainable investments in family planning, maternal health, healthy ageing and broader population dynamics. The dialogue reflected a shared recognition that catalytic financing and strengthened domestic ownership will be essential to sustaining progress on the ICPD agenda in the years ahead.

During the meeting, the PPD delegation also extended an invitation to Ms. Keita to participate in the 23^rd International Inter-Ministerial Conference (IIMC 2026), to be hosted by the Government of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing in October 2026. The conference remains a key platform for political leadership, policy dialogue and international solidarity in support of South-South cooperation on population and development.

Another important area of discussion was the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between PPD and UNFPA, with both sides reflecting on the value of updating the partnership framework in line with emerging global priorities, new strategic cycles and the evolving financing landscape. The meeting further highlighted the importance of developing practical implementation arrangements that can translate institutional commitment into measurable country-level results.

The bilateral engagement concluded with a strong spirit of partnership and mutual resolve. The meeting reaffirmed the determination of PPD and UNFPA to work closely in support of equitable, inclusive and sustainable development outcomes, while strengthening collective action to ensure that the ICPD agenda remains central to global development efforts beyond 2030.

The 59^th Session, held from 13 to 17 April 2026, convened under the theme of population, technology, and research in the context of sustainable development. Speaking on behalf of PPD’s 28 member countries—which represent nearly 60 percent of the global population—Professor Adelegan acknowledged the progress made since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), while starkly highlighting the challenges that remain.

In his address during the first day of the plenary session of the Commission, Professor Adelegan presented sobering statistics that underscore the urgency of the moment. He noted that while 380 million women and girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries are now using modern contraception, the global maternal mortality ratio remains unacceptably high at 197 deaths per 100,000 live births—far above the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of less than 70 .

“The evidence is clear: progress has been made, but the gaps remain too wide,” Professor Adelegan stated. “Globally, about 260,000 women died in 2023 from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and 92 per cent of those deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries.”

To address these disparities, the Executive Director proposed a comprehensive three-pillar framework:

1. Investing in Primary Health Care: Prioritizing midwifery, community health workers, commodity security, and rights-based family planning.
2. Closing the Digital Divide: Moving beyond infrastructure to invest in local research capacity, data governance, and digital literacy.
3. Bridging the Financing Gap: Utilizing both traditional and innovative financial instruments to meet the estimated US$4 trillion annual SDG financing shortfall.

A central theme of the Executive Director’s address was the critical need for innovative and catalytic financing. With traditional Official Development Assistance (ODA) under pressure, Professor Adelegan emphasized that new financial models are essential to safeguard hard-won gains in reproductive health.

He highlighted that an additional US$79 billion investment by 2030 in family planning and maternal health would generate approximately US$660 billion in economic benefits, yielding nearly US$27 in health and economic returns for every dollar invested . To unlock this potential, he advocated for mechanisms such as blended finance, results-based financing, pooled procurement, and social impact bonds to de-risk investments and crowd in private capital.

Concluding his statement, the Executive Director issued a clear call to action to the international community.

“The message from this Commission should be clear: the ICPD agenda is achievable, but only if we match political declarations with data, technology, financing and implementation partnerships.”

PPD remains steadfast in its commitment to working alongside Member States, the United Nations system, and development partners to scale best practices, mobilize catalytic financing, and accelerate the delivery of the ICPD Programme of Action.

The meeting underscored the shared commitment of both organizations to advancing the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Global South.

During the meeting, Professor Adelegan formally introduced himself as the newly appointed Executive Director of PPD and provided a comprehensive update on the organization’s current strategic initiatives. The dialogue centered on the critical importance of the collaboration between PPD and UNOSSC in addressing the complex demographic and health challenges facing developing nations.

As the only intergovernmental organization dedicated specifically to promoting South-South Cooperation in reproductive health, population, and development, PPD holds a unique position within the international development architecture. Professor Adelegan emphasized that PPD highly values its strategic partnership with UNOSSC, noting that their joint efforts are essential for scaling successful interventions and mobilizing resources.

The meeting concluded with a mutual reaffirmation of the strong ties between PPD and UNOSSC. Both leaders expressed optimism about the future of their partnership and the tangible benefits it will deliver to the 28 member countries of PPD and the broader Global South.

During the meeting, Professor Adelegan formally introduced himself as the new Executive Director of PPD and briefed His Excellency on the organization’s mandate, strategic priorities, and ongoing efforts to strengthen South–South and Triangular Cooperation in the fields of population, reproductive health, and sustainable development.

The Executive Director expressed sincere appreciation for the longstanding support of The Gambia to PPD since its accession to the organization in 1999. He acknowledged the country’s continued engagement and valuable contribution to advancing the shared goals of PPD and its Member States.

The discussion also provided an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of sustained political commitment and partnership in promoting population and development priorities across the Global South. Both sides underscored the value of collaboration in addressing common challenges and advancing collective solutions through intergovernmental cooperation.

The meeting reflected the strong and enduring partnership between PPD and The Gambia and reaffirmed a shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation in support of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals.