G8 Italy 2009 - Partnership sends open letter to Leaders
G8 Leaders Declaration
Responsible Leadership for a Sustainable Future (08/07/2009)
Below find excerpts from the 2009 G8 Leaders Declaration of particular relevance to maternal, newborn and child health:
D27. Since the Okinawa and Genoa Summits, with the launching of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, we have played a critical role in supporting progress towards health-related MDGs. We have made progress towards universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support; Malaria; Tuberculosis; Polio and child mortality rates. Despite these efforts, progress towards health-related MDGs, especially for child mortality and maternal health is still off-track particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the health situation is further aggravated by the burden of non-communicable diseases.
D29. We promote a comprehensive and integrated approach to the achievement of the health-related MDGs, also maximizing synergies between global health initiatives and health systems. We will accelerate progress on combating child mortality, including through intensifying support for immunization and micronutrient supplementation, and on maternal health, including through sexual and reproductive health care and services and voluntary family planning . We warmly support building a global consensus on maternal, newborn and child health as a way to accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals for both maternal and child health, through (i) political and community leadership and engagement; (ii) a quality package of evidence-based interventions through effective health systems; (iii) the removal of barriers to access for all women and children, free at the point of use where countries chose to provide it; (iv) skilled health workers; (v) accountability for results. We encourage the work of the WHO, WB, UNICEF and UNFPA are doing to renew international efforts on maternal and child health. We will implement further efforts towards universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010, with particular focus on prevention and integration of services for HIV/TB. We will combine this with actions to: combat TB and Malaria; address the spread of Neglected Tropical Diseases and work towards completing the task of polio eradication; improve monitoring of emerging infectious diseases. In this regard, we stress the importance of addressing gender inequality. We commend the strong African leadership in addressing health challenges and welcome the launch of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance on the occasion of the 64th UNGA in September 2009.
D30. We also recognize the need to strengthen the link between health sector and other policies by promoting the strategic approach of “health as an outcome of all policies”. We aim at addressing the key determinants of health through mutually reinforcing policies across sectors such as poverty reduction, food and nutrition, water supply and sanitation, education, gender equality, employment, housing, justice, environment and science and technology. We commit to counter any form of stigma, discrimination and human rights violation, including the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities and the elimination of travel restrictions on people living with HIV/AIDS.
D31. We invite partner countries to increase and effectively use their domestic financing for health in line with the principles of the Rome, Paris and Accra Declarations. We recognize the critical role and contribution of the Global Fund, WHO and the World Bank. We encourage them to assist, together with other relevant actors in the design of comprehensive, robust and well-costed country-led strategies and plans, building on experience such as the International Health Partnership (IHP+) and other initiatives including Providing for Health. We acknowledge the work of the Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development and the report of the High Level Taskforce on Innovative International Financing for Health Systems, which present a set of options from which countries and stakeholders can choose on a voluntary basis to mobilize resources to strengthen health systems. A number of G8 countries are considering and taking forward specific Leading Group and Task Force recommendations.
D32. We reaffirm our existing commitments, including the US$ 60 billion investment to fight infectious diseases and strengthen health system by 2012. Building on the decisions taken at St. Petersburg, Heiligendamm and Toyako, we have established a follow-up mechanism to monitor the progress of health commitments. We welcome the report submitted by our experts, highlighting progress and proposing further actions, and we commit to further improvements.