Mobilisation and effectiveness of resources for women’s and children’s health

Every year around 8 million children die from mostly preventable causes and around 350,000 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Although these figures represent substantial declines from 1990, they reflect insufficient progress in reaching Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health, respectively. The launch of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s health has created an atmosphere of hope that additional resources will be allocated to the achievement of the health MDGs in the next four years. Low income countries must ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to women’s and children’s health within the national budget. Donor countries must ensure that aid for women’s and children’s health is aligned with country priorities and accurately reported on through the OECD reporting system. The time is now for greater investments in maternal, newborn and child health, and better tracking mechanisms to make sure these investments reach the women and children that need it most.