A Crisis of Accountability for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health (The Lancet, 2020)

Reference Summary (Article)

Abstract

This reference summary presents key information from the following article: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31520-8. The source is a commentary titled “A crisis of accountability for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health”, authored by Phumaphi J, Mason E, Alipui NK, Ríos Cisnero J, Kidu C, Killen B, Pkhakadze G, Sen G, Yamin AE, Kuruvilla S, and published in The Lancet in 2020. The article examines the global accountability crisis affecting progress in women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health, highlighting persistent gaps in implementation despite existing commitments. It emphasizes that weak accountability mechanisms, insufficient data systems, and lack of political will continue to hinder progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The discussion underscores the importance of strengthening monitoring, independent review, and remedial action, and calls for renewed commitment to transparent, inclusive, and rights-based accountability frameworks. The article reinforces accountability as essential for translating commitments into measurable outcomes and ensuring equitable progress for all populations.