Addressing the need for a new global roadmap for reducing child mortality

"In mid-June, representatives of 80 governments, the private sector, NGOs, civil society and faith-based organizations met to launch the Child Survival Call to Action: a sustained, global effort to lower child mortality rates, especially in high-risk countries," a VOA editorial reports. The editorial quotes U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said at the launch, "We need to agree on a new way forward, a new global roadmap for reducing child mortality," and goes on to examine how the international community can move forward toward this goal.

The blog writes, "We will focus our efforts in the countries where child mortality rates are the highest"; "We will identify those populations where children are suffering most, and tailor our responses to their specific needs"; "We will prioritize treating illnesses that claim the most lives"; and "We will consider broader social and economic factors that are closely linked to high child mortality." It concludes, "And by ensuring mutual accountability and transparency, we will be able to evaluate our efforts" (6/20).