Accelerating Progress in Maternal and Newborn Health: ‘H 4’ Agencies Present their Plan

NEW YORK, 29 September - Improving maternal health and reducing newborn deaths is a complex undertaking because, among other things, it involves strengthening health systems, scaling up programmes to reach remote rural areas and marginalized populations, and ensuring that appropriate resources are committed to what some consider a ‘woman’s issue.’

It’s a task that takes a lot of effort and expertise, which is why WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and the World Bank, have committed themselves to working closely together in order to accelerate progress in saving the lives of women and newborns as called for by the Millennium Development Goals.
In a meeting Friday 25 September, the four partners, nicknamed the‘The Health 4’ or ‘H4’, presented the scope of work and the progress of their country-focused collaboration at a very well attended meeting in UNFPA’s New York Headquarter.

During the coming years, the four agencies will enhance their support to the countries with the highest maternal mortality, starting with six, scaling up to 25 and later covering 60 countries, they said at the meeting, which included donor partners, representatives from civil society organization and academic institutions.

Focus will be on helping countries to strengthen their health systems so that they can reduce the maternal mortality ratio by 75 per cent and achieve universal access to reproductive health, as called for by the MDG 5. The joint efforts will also contribute to reducing child mortality as called for by MDG 4.

Read the joint statement from the four agencies