NEW THIS TUESDAY: COUNTDOWN TO 2015 FOR MATERNAL, NEWBORN & CHILD SURVIVAL

Sunday, 2nd of June 2013

COUNTDOWN TO 2015 FOR MATERNAL, NEWBORN & CHILD SURVIVAL

Excerpt below; full text is at http://countdown2015mnch.org/documents/2013Report/Countdown_2013-Update_noprofiles.pdf

The results in this report highlight country achievements in increasing coverage of key interventions, and identify remaining challenges many countries face in reaching all women and children with life-saving services. The key findings include:

• Across most of the Countdown countries, levels of maternal and child mortality have both been dropping over the past two decades. But in some countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where fertility levels typically remain high, progress has been slower. These countries must be prioritized for collective global, regional,and national action.

• Child deaths are increasingly concentrated in the first month of life. Newborn deaths now account for 40% or more of all child deaths in 35 of the Countdown countries. Improving newborn survival, including reducing stillbirths, must be a major focus of policies and programs.

• Undernutrition, in a synergistic relationship with infectious diseases, contributes to almost half of all child deaths. Levels of stunting, a form of growth failure resulting from chronic undernutrition, remain unacceptably high in virtually all 75 countries. Nutrition must continue to be emphasized as an essential ingredient of maternal, newborn, andchild survival programs.

• Wide variations in coverage for interventions addressed by the Commission indicators, both across and within Countdown countries, show the importance of equity as a core component of all health strategies. Global and national efforts must focus on reaching the poorest and other vulnerable sub-groups of the population.

• High levels of fertility and unmet need for family planning in many Countdown countries highlight the need to broaden access to contraception. The global community has woken up to this need, and the growing political momentum must be translated into substantially increased resources.

Significant challenges remain before us. High population growth remains a looming obstacle to progress in countries where health systems are least equipped to respond to escalations in demand, and pervasive inequities must be addressed if we are to fulfill the promise of MDGs 4 and 5 for millions of women and children.

But, ultimately, this report is about hope. The country profiles contain many success stories which show that commitment, investment, and coordinated action can result in concrete achievements that will save countless lives.Now is the time to learn from these success stories, and to act based on the evidence. Generations of women and children are counting on us.