DI Welcomes the Outcomes of the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals

In September 2010, the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted a global action plan to achieve the MDGs by their 2015 target date and launched the Global Strategy for Women s and Children s Health, aiming to accelerate progress on women s and children s health (1). Defend International (DI) welcomes these efforts and encourages State Parties to keep moving toward the attainment of the MDGs with determination.

The Millennium Development Goals are a series of globally agreed social and economic targets that world leaders have agreed to achieve by 2015. Women and children are an important entity in the Millennium Development Goals. In other words, the MDGs consist of the following eight anti-poverty goals, two of which are health related:
* Goal 1: Aims to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (2);
* Goal 2: Aims to achieve universal primary education (2);
* Goal 3: Aims to promote gender equality and empower women (2);
* Goal 4: Aims to reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five (a health objective) (2);
* Goal 5: Aims to improve maternal health (a health objective) (2);
* Goal 6: Aims to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (2);
* Goal 7: Aims to ensure environmental sustainability (2); and
* Goal 8: Aims to develop a Global Partnership for Development (2).

Even though many countries have implemented several approaches to reduce child mortality and infectious disease burdens, the MDGs are far from being reached.

The UN has now secured $40 billion in resources to save the lives of women and children (1).
In fact, over the next five years, it is anticipated that 33 million unwanted pregnancies will be prevented, as well as the deaths of more than 15 million children under five, and the death of 740,000 women from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth (1).

To successfully implement the Global Strategy, several agencies, including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank, have united their efforts to mobilize ongoing political and operational support to achieving health for all (1). Additionally, other institutions, such as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are collaborating with the aforementioned agencies to ensure integrated services and universal access to health care for all women and children (1).

Based on the priorities set by countries in their national health plans, the Global Strategy will identify and connect resources, along with necessary interventions to enhance health and avoid health risks (1).

DI has followed the progress and calls upon all States and all international and regional organizations to actively engage with the United Nations in the process of achieving the MDGs by 2015.

References:
1: UN (2000). What are the Millennium Development Goals? Retrieved on October 2, 2010 at: http://www.undp.org/mdg/basics.shtml
2: United Nations (2010). UN chief kicks off drive to save more than 16 million women and children worldwide. Retrieved on October 2, 2010 at: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36054&Cr=global+health&Cr1

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