Progress achieved under the MDGs was tremendous and unprecedented, with maternal mortality falling by 45% since 1990 and under-five mortality declining by more than 50% in the same time period.1 Yet progress across interventions and regions, as well as within countries, is often undermined by poor quality of care and high levels of inequities. Preventable maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirths remain unacceptably high and continue to hinder the health and human rights of women, children and adolescents. As countries expand their health systems towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), both ‘access to care’ and ‘quality of care’ are critical for ending preventable maternal, newborn, child and adolescent deaths by 2030. Health care professionals, especially midwives, have a crucial role to play in the provision of quality care to prevent maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirths, as well as to reduce avoidable morbidity and improve experience of care. Aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health, the Quality, Equity and Dignity Initiative is committed to ensure that all women, children and adolescents have equal access to quality, affordable and respectful health care and services, in all settings, with the aim of promoting the values of Quality, Equity and Dignity in both the provision and patient experience of health care. The initiative provides an important platform for advocacy and programming, particularly in its effort to support the Quality of Care Network being led by the WHO and UNICEF, its work to support the development of costed national plans to achieve universal coverage of essential health services for women, children and adolescents and its promotion respectful care in all settings. As we build on the momentum of the MDGs, we must ensure quality, equity and dignity in services for all women, children and adolescents to ensure we go the last mile and achieve a sustainable future for all by 2030.