The Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health gained much needed backing yesterday at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, as a number of countries made commitments to improving maternal and child health. The needed backing came as 16 countries pledged support for initiatives including access to contraception, use of birth attendants, immunizations and curbing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The 16 countries who have pledged commitments were announced by Burundi, Chad, the Central African Republic, Comoros, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, and Viet Nam.
Some of the commitments made included a declaration by Heads of States at the 2010 July Summit of the African Union to strengthen efforts to improve maternal, newborn and child health and a March 2011. recommendations were also released today by the Commission for Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, including to ensure that future commitments are spent as most needed. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Political and financial support for action on women’s and children’s health is reaching new and encouraging heights” (UN Dispatch).
