G8 Watch 2011
Release: PMNCH welcomes G8 Accountability Report
18 MAY 2011 | GENEVA - The G8 2011 Accountability report released today in Paris indicating an increase in financing for women's and children's health was welcomed by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH).
In 2010, the G8 launched the Muskoka Initiative for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, with an overall goal of US$10 billion by 2015, and initial commitments totalling US$5 billion. The G8 2011 Accountability Report today suggests that collectively the G8 will surpass this initial US$5 billion commitment by roughly 53%.
''The G8 continues to lead on maternal, newborn and child health,'' says Dr. Julio Frenk, Chair of the Board of PMNCH, and Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.
''Under Canada in 2010, Muskoka was a game changer in terms of donor commitments. In 2011, France has focussed on accountability, which is critically important to ensuring that commitments are honoured,'' he says.
''The US G8 year in 2012 will also be an important opportunity for progress, given the strong US record on accountability, as well as their strong support for women in development,'' said Dr. Carole Presern, PMNCH Director.
The 2011 G8 report outlines commitments to the Muskoka Initiative by each G8 member: Canada - C$1.1 billion; France - €500 million; Germany - €400 million; Italy - US$75 million; Japan - US$500 million; Russia - US$75 million; United Kingdom - £2.1 billion; US - US$1.346 billion; EU - $70 million.
While the G8 does not provide a new aggregate figure to update the initial US$5 billion, a roll-up of each commitment suggests that collectively G8 members have now identified US$7.656 billion for the Muskoka Initiative by 2015. *
The increase from US $ 5 billion to US $ 7.656 billion can largely be attributed to an increased commitment by the United Kingdom in September 2010, as part of the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health.
The Muskoka Initiative was part of the Global Strategy, launched in September 2010 with US$40 billion in commitments, to dramatically reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths in developing countries. Non-G8 partners also joined and committed US $ 2.3 billion by 2015.
PMNCH is leading on a report analyzing the US$40 billion, to be released in September 2011.
Presern says early analysis of commitments to the Global Strategy show emerging support for family planning. ''This is very good news, as there was a financing gap in this area. Improving access to family planning is highly effective in reducing maternal deaths and newborn deaths.
* Where G8 members did not report commitments in USD, PMNCH used May 2010 OECD exchange rates to calculate conversions.
Spokesperson:
Dr Carole Presern
Director
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
Canada G8/G20 Spokesperson for PMNCH :
Dr Dororthy Shaw
Clinical Professor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of British Columbia
dshaw@medd.med.ubc.ca
Contact:
Tracey Fyfe
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
fyfet@who.int
+41 ( 0)79 251 7368 (mobile)