Every Woman, Every Child | WPN World People News

A mother and child at a hospital in Afghanistan. Maternal and child deaths have devastating impacts on families and communities, and lead to global productivity losses of $15 billion each year.

A woman and child visit a clinic in Mongolia. The Strategy focuses on integrating health services to address a broad range of needs. Among the targets: protecting 88 million children under five from stunting due to less-than-adequate nutrition, and protecting 120 million children from pneumonia over the next five years.

Implementing the Global Strategy is expected to prevent the deaths of more than 15 million children under five over the next five years. “We know what works to save women’s and children’s lives,” the Secretary-General said.

“We look forward to working with the Secretary-General and the important partners he has brought together to address maternal and child health – an issue that deserves to be at the top of our development agenda,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told participants at the launch.

Investments in health reverberate across social and economic sectors and are among the most effective means to improving lives. The Strategy brings leaders from the private sector, philanthropy and government together. Above, Sherilyn McCoy, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals; Melinda Gates, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

“Healthy mothers raise healthy children. Healthy children grow up stronger and better educated and help build more prosperous societies. And a health system that delivers for mothers and children will deliver for the whole community,” the Secretary-General said.

Source: UN News