G8 Italy 2009 - Partnership sends open letter to Leaders
G8 Watch 2009
17 July 2009 | L'Aquila /Geneva - The Partnership has written to the G8 leaders applauding their commitment to maternal, newborn and child health. The Chair and Co-Chairs urge G8 leaders to translate their pledges into concrete action and offer the Partnership as the platform to develop action plans and funding strategies. The "Group of 8" (G8) gathered the world's most powerful heads of state in Italy in early July. The letter praises the G8 for setting "clear and unprecedented statements on the centrality of maternal, newborn, and child health to overall progress on the (Millennium Development Goals) MDGs and offers to work with leaders to help achieve them.
G8 related links
For the first time last year, the G8 leaders included maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) in one of the outcome documents from the G8 summit- the Toyako Framework for Action on Global Health, with some of the specific actions to be taken to improve progress in reducing maternal and newborn mortality. This year, the Declaration document goes further and calls for the "removal of barriers to access for all women and children" and "encourage(s) the work of the WHO, WB, UNICEF and UNFPA are doing to renew international efforts on maternal and child health." See DECLARATION link, on the right, for the full G8 Declaration document, and MNCH highlights.
The Heads of Government discussed, amongst other issues, the following global issues: a response to the global economic and financial crisis, employment, protectionism and deregulation of world trade, health and development, food security and safety and climate change.They will focus their attention again at their past commitments to Africa, through NEPAD, and health and development, including reducing the high child and newborn mortality.
Join The Partnership website with the "G8 Watch 2009". On the links to your right, find:
- PMNCH OPEN LETTER to G8: full text;
- G8-2009 DECLARATION: Responsible Leadership for a Sustainable Future (08/07/2009) with MNCH highlights and full text;
- CIVIL SOCIETY G8: news and links from the Civil G8 initiative;
- G8 CIVIL ACTIONS: related G8 campaigns and actions by civil society;
- G8 BLOG: find links to ADD YOUR VOICE on the G8 BLOGS, and find BLOGS from PMNCH members;
- G8 IN THE NEWS: news and clippings related to the G8 and maternal, newborn and child material and actions.