By DAILY NEWS Correspondent, Geneva, 26th January 2011 @ 22:00, Total Comments: 1, Hits: 3162
PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has expressed doubts for many developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on reduction of maternal and child deaths.
The president made the remarks during the meeting of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health held at the WHO offices here.
Mr Kikwete co-chairs with Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Stephen Harper a UN commission overseeing how the maternal health funds are collected and spent.
Citing what he called "staggering statistics," Mr Kikwete said that although Africa has just 12 per cent of the global population, it accounts for half of all maternal deaths and half the deaths of children under five.
He noted that of the eight millennium development goals set by the UN for 2015, "the ones on maternal and child health are lagging far behind target."
The numbers, he said, offer "a stark reminder of the enormity of the challenge."
Wednesday's meeting was essentially a steering committee, after which two working groups of technical experts will map out an accountability framework that will then have to be sold to donor countries, recipients, and civil society groups. The framework is to be completed by May.
Mr Kikwete and Harper also met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before the commission formally got under way at the World Health Organization headquarters.
The Canadian premier was optimistic that the $40 billion initiative on maternal and child health will create a "wave of hope" across the developing world.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Mr Harper gave an upbeat assessment of the job ahead as he pursues the maternal health programme he spearheaded at the G8 in Muskoka last summer.
"This is about the future, the future of families, of communities, countries and indeed ultimately of humanity," Harper said in his opening remarks.
Adding; "Improvements to the health, education and living conditions of millions of women and children will mean a wave of hope that will ripple through the developing world."
The Canadian prime minister led yesterday's session on the commission's efforts to ensure donor countries actually make good on their pledges, as well as a session on outreach to stakeholders.
Total Comments on the above stories (1)
Comment
Reducing maternal and fetal and newborn deaths necessitates lots of competent professionals.
Unfortunately we are in a backward situation were when developed nations continue to brain drain African doctors to Europe and US, we have a law which prohibits Tanzanian government employing foreign doctors in government hospitals.
If we really want to improve with our horrible situation of maternal and perinatal mortality, then we need to abolish laws like this to turn the brain drain from developed nations to Tanzania and not vice versa.
Dr Mikko Aalto
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