World Bank, Partner Countries, NGOs Launch Global Financing Facility For MCH

Media sources report on the formation of a new Global Financing Facility to address maternal and child health issues.

Reuters: Donors launch $4 billion health fund to cut mother and child deaths
“The World Bank has announced a new global fund to invest about $4 billion in health care for mothers and children in developing countries as part of a drive to end their preventable deaths by 2030. … The Global Financing Facility is designed to accelerate progress by providing capital for poor countries to develop their health care systems and collect better data on births and deaths. It is backed by Norway, Canada, and the United States in partnership with the United Nations, the private sector, and non-profits…” (Dawson, 9/26).

CBC News: Stephen Harper tells U.N. maternal and child health close to his heart
“Prime Minister Stephen Harper has told the United Nations General Assembly that saving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable mothers and their children is not only a global priority, but an issue ‘closest to his heart.’ … The fund is part of an initiative launched by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in September 2010, called Every Woman, Every Child, whose goal is to save the lives of 16 million women and children by the end of 2015. Harper announced that Canada has earmarked $200 million toward the credit fund. Canada’s pledge is part of the five-year $3.5-billion commitment Harper announced in May…” (Mas, 9/25).

Toronto Star: Canada to lead creation of global fund to boost maternal, child health
“…[The fund] essentially an investment strategy, a mechanism that will draw in and pool funding from different sources that can then be leveraged to pay for, for example, systems to register birth and death statistics, boost vaccine rates or provide nutritional support or health services for women and children in developing countries…” (MacCharles, 9/25).

U.N. News Centre: Improving health of women, children ‘moral imperative’ — Ban
“Lauding the gains made in improving the health of women and children worldwide, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [Thursday] called for renewed commitment and action to sustain the unprecedented progress made in this area in partnership with governments, civil society, the private sector, philanthropists, and international organizations…” (9/25).

World Bank: Development Partners Support the Creation of Global Financing Facility to Advance Women’s and Children’s Health
“…The GFF, in support of Every Woman Every Child, is being developed in close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, including partner countries; the H4+ agencies (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, U.N. Women, and the World Bank Group); civil society organizations; bilateral and multilateral development partners; foundations; private sector and others working in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health…” (9/25).

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