16 Countries pledge to reduce maternal, newborn, child mortality

Sixteen countries have announced new commitments aimed at significantly reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality by "focus[ing] on measures proven effective in preventing deaths, such as increased contraceptive use, attended childbirth, improved access to emergency obstetric care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and childhood immunizations," ANI/Sify News reports (5/20).

"The commitments, largely in the form of specific budgetary increases for maternity and natal care, and promises of increased medical coverage for mothers and children, were announced as part of the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, a $40 billion programme that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched last year," according to the U.N. News Centre. Burundi, Chad, the Central African Republic (CAR), Comoros, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, and Viet Nam announced new pledges, which are supported by UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, the World Bank and WHO (5/19).