International breakthrough in efforts to improve the health of women and children

“I am glad to see that so many UN members and organisations have pledged funding today to save women and children. The pledges now total more than USD 40 billion over the next five years. This is the greatest effort the world has seen to reduce child and maternal mortality,” said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
 
On Wednesday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon brought together heads of state and government and other world leaders during the UN summit to mobilise a concerted effort to reduce child and maternal mortality in poor countries.

Reducing child and maternal mortality is one of the Millennium Development Goals where we have made least progress since 1990. On Wednesday, the Secretary-General launched the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, which sets out a plan to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters and child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. If successful, this strategy will save 16 million lives in the world’s 49 poorest countries.

Norway has played a leading role in these efforts since 2000.
 
“I am pleased that other countries are now joining in this work. Norway will play a key role in following up the Secretary-General’s initiative. We will focus on finding solutions and models that are simple and effective,” continued Mr Stoltenberg. “We do not need advanced technology to reach our goals. If women are able to give birth at clinics where there are qualified health workers and the proper equipment, we can prevent one in two maternal deaths and one in five infant deaths.”

Mr Stoltenberg emphasised that the developing countries bear the main responsibility for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. To achieve the goals, it is of crucial importance for countries to mobilise their own resources, redistribute wealth and develop good governance.

In Ethiopia, maternal and child mortality has been halved, and in Rwanda maternal mortality has been reduced by two-thirds in only eight years, from 2000 to 2008. Other countries are lagging behind, and in some the situation is deteriorating – in Zimbabwe, for instance, maternal mortality has doubled since 1990.

“Maternal and child mortality are being reduced, but the figures are still unacceptably high,” said Mr Stoltenberg in his statement to the UN. “It is therefore encouraging that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has raised this issue to the highest political level and persuaded heads of state and government, NGOs, researchers, business and industry and many other actors to redouble their efforts. This is something that concerns all of us.”

Countries that are already mobilising their own resources include Nigeria, India and Tanzania. Nigeria has pledged to intensify its efforts by tripling its health budget. India will increase funding by about NOK 6 billion a year. In addition, donor countries are increasing their commitments. This spring, the G8 pledged funding of NOK 30 billion, and three NGOs have undertaken to obtain the equivalent of at least NOK 15 billion in funding for maternal and child health by 2015.

Norway’s has tripled development assistance funding in the health sector since 2000. Support is provided through UN organisations, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and various NGOs. Norway also has bilateral arrangements for cooperation in the health sector with Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan and India.