At the Clinton Global Initiative in New York Wednesday, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway has led the launch of a global campaign to save the lives of millions of women and children.
On behalf of Norway, Stoltenberg pledged 1 billion US dollar (5,3 milliarder DKR) dollars in aid to save lives.
Speaking in New York, Stoltenberg said stronger health systems could mean that the four million newborn babies who currently die in their first month of life, could in fact survive if they were breastfed or were treated with antibiotics by trained medical workers.
– Increased and dependable financing would also make a big difference in saving the half a million mothers who die each year in pregnancy or when giving birth, said Stoltenberg.
Jens Stoltenberg presented the Campaigns three main thrusts:
1. Financing survival.
“With less than one billion US dollar, we have saved more than 2,3 million lives since 2001 by providing vaccination. Now we need to go beyond vaccines. The four million newborn who die in their first month may survive the first days and weeks of their lives if they are breastfed, and have access to antibiotics and health personnel. The half a million women who die in pregnancy or giving birth can be saved with simple means. Extra financing will make a big difference”, Stoltenberg said.
2. Organizing survival.
“To get return on our investment, we need to cut bureaucratic layers. Health personnel should treat more patients and file fewer reports. Money should be an incentive to increase the number of treatments, either by clinics getting paid for the number of women and children they provide care for, or by giving money to women for going to clinics, Stoltenberg noted adding:
– Thus, treatment becomes a source of income rather than a cost, and the finance system a driver for improved results.
3. Advocacy for women and children.
“The campaign will raise awareness that millions of women and children can be saved with modest means. When making the case for increased finance, we will also show and tell that we can save more lives”, Stoltenberg said.
Performance-based financing
In announcing his health systems initiative, Stoltenberg said results-based financing would be a key incentive to bring about better, sustainable long-term health for mothers and children.
– We have seen this work wonders in India with having would-be mothers have their babies in health facilities instead of staying at home and risking losing their babies or their own lives. In this way, treatment becomes a source of income rather than a cost, and the finance system drives vastly better results, said the head of the red-green majority-government in Oslo.
Progress is being made in health
According to the Norwegian Prime Minister, developing countries are making important progress in achieving better health, but much too slowly to reach their 2015 Millennium Development Goals in health, especially those calling for reducing the numbers of child deaths, improving womens health, and reducing the occurrence of key diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
Stoltenberg said measles (mæslinge) vaccination campaigns in Africa were showing successful results by now saving half a million lives every year.
The amount of money given in aid for improving the health of the worlds poor has increased substantially. Polio (børnelammelse), which paralysed over 350.000 children in 1988, is on the verge of being eradicated.
Still, the Prime Minister said, “the world is off-track in achieving the health MDGs and so we have to run that much harder and faster to honour these far-reaching commitments. The world expects us to meet this commitment by 2015.”
– I am pleased to announce today that we are building a network of global leaders to oversee and ensure that better health care for women and children will indeed be the priority. The millions of lives saved will strengthen the basis for development and prosperity, said Stoltenberg.
Stoltenberg was joined in his launch by President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands, President Robert Zoellick of the World Bank Group, General Director Margaret Chan of the WHO and Executive Director Ann Veneman of UNICEF.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
