Transparent reporting tool needed to monitor progress in maternal, child health

In this post in the Center for Global Development's "Global Health Policy" blog, Nandini Oomman, director of the HIV/AIDS Monitor at the center, and Rachel Silverman, a research assistant at the center, respond to a one-year assessment of progress released by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) on September 20, calling it "strangely short on meaningful data and clear messages about progress." They write, "The PMNCH should be applauded for its dedication to rigorous monitoring, and for pushing donors, countries, NGOs, etc. to act on their commitments under the global strategy. We don't know if these commitments will accelerate reduction in maternal and child mortality, but assuming they -- the $40 billion and other pledges -- do have the desired impact, we need an efficient and transparent system to monitor progress and learn from this effort," because it would require donor and recipient countries "to clearly tie commitments to action, and, eventually, to impact via [millennium development goal] indicators" (9/26).