2011 Top stories
July - September
19 SEPTEMBER 2011 | GENEVA/NEW YORK -"We welcome new estimates confirming continued progress in ... reaching MDGs 4 and 5 - the reduction of child and maternal mortality." WHO/UNICEF and the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation have released new child/maternal mortality estimates. PMNCH Director Dr Presern and WHO Assistant-Director General, Dr Bustreo comment.
SEPTEMBER 2011- The Global Fund Round 11 Call for Proposals is now open, with a submission date of 15 December 2011. Women and children bear a heavy burden of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, which interact with and exacerbate other reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) problems. There is the potential to expand the impact of Global Fund investments to improve the health of women and children even further within the existing mandate and framework.SEPTEMBER 2011- The Global Fund Round 11 Call for Proposals is now open, with a submission date of 15 December 2011. Women and children bear a heavy burden of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, which interact with and exacerbate other reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) problems. There is the potential to expand the impact of Global Fund investments to improve the health of women and children even further within the existing mandate and framework.
20 SEPTEMBER 2011 | GENEVA/NEW YORK - In only one year, governments, foundations, UN and other multilateral organizations, NGOs, the business community, health care professional associations, and academic institutions have made unprecedented financial and political commitments to greatly improve the health of women and children. The assessment of commitments came in the new PMNCH 2011 Report: Analysing Commitments to Advance the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. The new Report—along with many new commitments—were released at the Every Woman Every Child first-year anniversary high-level event held in New York.
20 SEPTEMBER 2011 | NEW YORK – The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced more than 100 new commitments to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health at the special first anniversary High-Level Meeting of Every Woman Every Child (EWEC), attended by Heads of State, CEOs of the Private Sector and heads of civil society, the UN and government officials. Reports included the EWEC "Saving the Lives of 16 Million”, and the PMNCH 2011 Report. Notable new game-changing commitments: private sector partners including Merck will launch a ten-year maternal initiative.
SEPTEMBER 2011 | NEW YORK - Reproductive, maternal, newborn & child health (RMNCH) will be given high priority in several key events held in association with 2011 UN GA and High-Level Meeting on NCD's in the latter part of September. The Every Woman Every Child campaign marks the first anniversary of the launch of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health; PMNCH releases the Report on Global Collective Action, is Co-host of two high-level side meetings and to take part in many PMNCH member-led events
30 AUGUST 2011 | GENEVA/WASHINGTON - Fewer newborns are dying worldwide, but progress is too slow and Africa particularly is being left further behind. These are the findings of a new study just published in the medical journal PLoS Medicine. The study covering 20 years and all 193 WHO Member States was led by researchers from the World Health Organization( WHO), Save the Children and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. . The study - based on more data than ever and extensive country consultation - shows detailed trends over time and forecasts potential future progress.
29 AUGUST 2011 | ACCRA, GHANA – More than 70 midwifery leaders from 12 African countries came together to participate in a five-day workshop focused on forming action plans to improve access to qualified midwives across the continent in order to save the lives of African women and their newborns. The workshop, which ran from 22 to 26 August, was organized the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as part of their partnership programme to strengthen midwifery skills in low-resource countries which have the highest rates of maternal mortality globally.
9-11 AUGUST 2011 | ABUJA, NIGERIA – The Nigerian Ministry of Health and Intel Corporation, in collaboration with PMNCH, have brought together regional governments, donor bodies, technology companies, healthcare providers, practitioners and policymakers to discuss the best ways to leverage information and communication technologies to enhance health care across the continent at this year’s Pan-African Health Summit.
2 AUGUST 2011 – About $ US 14 million has been awarded to innovations aimed at saving the lives of mothers and children around the world—with several PMNCH members among the finalists: Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins University, Moi University, Population Council and the World Health Organization. “Saving Lives at birth: A Grand Challenge for Development” was funded by PMNCH members Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with USAID, the World Bank, the Government of Norway and Grand Challenges Canada.
1-7 AUGUST 2011 - Currently fewer than 40% of infants under six months of age are exclusively breastfed worldwide. World Breastfeeding Week which is being observed from 1-7 August in over 170 countries aims to increase this number. The theme of the week is “Talk to Me! Breastfeeding – a 3D Experience”. The Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Flavia Bustreo, has released a statement to mark World Breastfeeding Week.
JULY-SEPTEMBER 2011 - A coalition of organizations including PMNCH members such as Save the Children, White Ribbon Alliance and others are asking on all advocates to take action and sign a call for increased support to health workers before the UN’s review of MDGs in September. There is presently a gap of more than 3.5 million health workers and millions of existing health workers — nurses, doctors, midwives and community health workers — lack the support, equipment, and training they need to provide quality care.
21 July 2011 – More than 10 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti are in desperate need of food, clean water and basic sanitation, with the number growing by the day. A number of PMNCH members have launched emergency efforts to address the urgent need for humanitarian relief and stronger commitments to long term solutions.
JULY 2011 - As part of implementation of its final recommendations, the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health is calling for nominations to create the Expert Review Group (ERG) by 30 July. Additionally, the Commission is calling for comments on and holding a consultation to discuss a draft workplan with partners, taking place at the World Health Organization in Geneva from 13-14 July. Online comments are accepted until 15 July. The Commission website is also calling for photographs and videos to show progress and work related to commitments to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.
7 JULY 2011 | GENEVA - Significant strides have been made towards the Millennium Development Goals, yet reaching all the goals by the 2015 deadline remains challenging, as the world's poorest are being left behind, according to the MDG Report 2011, the UN's annual progress report. "The MDGs have helped lift millions of people out of poverty, save countless children's lives and ensure that they attend school," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.