The recent G8 meeting in Muskoka, Canada, on the 25th and 26th June, immediately prior to the G20 gathering, concluded with the drafting of the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. The Group of 8 leaders made a commitment to accelerate efforts to improve maternal and child health. Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the G8 governments would commit US $5 billion over the next 5-years to the Muskoka Initiative, with an additional US $2.3 billion promised by non-G8 countries, donors and foundations.
In Lao PDR this is a welcome development. Maternal mortality in the country is high with 660 deaths per 100,000 live births (2005). This figure is the second highest in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition a recent analysis released by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the United Nations Millennium Campaign stated that antenatal coverage in Lao PDR is only 35%. Read more
Photo Essay: Achieving the MDGs in the Lao PDR
Photo: UNDP Lao PDR/Harish Murthi
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