Strong partnerships needed to reduce maternal and child mortality – Sharma

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has called for strong national and international partnerships to change the “unacceptably” high rate of maternal and infant deaths worldwide.

Addressing delegates from government, business and civil society on 10 December 2008 at a four-day conference on Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival, in Sussex, UK, he said: “What we are really talking about here are deaths by ignorance, discrimination, omission and negligence.”

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 – to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health – were floundering, he noted. “One woman dies every minute from complications related to pregnancy, while 20 children under five years old die every minute – these deaths are preventable and unacceptable.”

Two-thirds of these deaths are happening in Commonwealth countries, and he said we need to launch a powerful revolution in partnership if we are to meet the MDGs on women and children.

Mr Sharma added that the Commonwealth was well positioned to bring the debate into non-health sectors through its regular ministerial meetings in areas such as law, women’s affairs, labour, sports, youth and finance.

He acknowledged the challenge to bring maternal, newborn and child health to the centre of the development debate. “The changes needed are not sectoral, but all-embracing,” he said.

For the full text of the Wilton Park speech, please click here

Key Links:

• Maternal Health