This article reviews formal and informal mechanisms through which the World Health Organization (WHO) is promoting policies for the advancement of women's health. Specific attention is given to select examples of innovative strategies the WHO has adopted in recent years to increase political commitment to women's and children's health and influence the development of policies supportive of country efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 (MDG4) and MDG 5 (to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health, respectively).
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