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SOGC supports G8 commitment on child and maternal health

Posted: August 23, 2010

During the G8 Summit in Muskoka, Prime Minister Stephen Harper put forth a signature on the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Initiative and G8 leaders, as stated in the G8 Communiqué, “reaffirm[ed their] strong support to significantly reduce the number of maternal, newborn and under five child deaths as a matter of immediate humanitarian and development concern”.

The Government of Canada pledged $1.1 billion in new money over 5 years for the Muskoka Initiative, with the remaining G8 countries together pledging another $3.9 billion over 5 years and other developed countries and civil society organizations making up the difference to total $7.3 billion over 5 years. As far as Canada is concerned, this will mean an additional $220 million investment a year in Canada’s foreign aid for maternal, newborn and child health. The money will be used to strengthen health systems with a focus on improving quality care to women and children, and will include antenatal care; attended childbirth; post-partum care; sexual and reproductive health care and services, including voluntary family planning; health education; treatment and prevention of diseases including infectious diseases; prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; immunizations; basic nutrition and relevant actions in the field of safe drinking water and sanitation. A core principal of the Initiative is that it will build “on proven, cost-effective, evidence-based interventions”.

The SOGC has played an important role in shaping the Muskoka Initiative by offering its expertise to the Government of Canada and suggesting the most effective and the most urgent interventions to reduce maternal mortality in low-resource settings. “We are delighted that the Prime Minister has recognized that complications during labour and birth are the main reason mothers are dying and that aid efforts should be focused on pregnancy and childbirth” said Dr. Ahmed Ezzat, President of the SOGC.

The outcome of the 2010 G8 Summit and the increased attention given to maternal and child health this year has proven that SOGC‘s advocacy efforts were extremely relevant and essential for gaining progress on the issue. For health professionals in particular, the SOGC strongly believes that professional associations, having a keen understanding of the impacts of simple and effective interventions on maternal mortality and morbidity rates, have a responsibility and an obligation to use their influence to promote and defend sexual and reproductive rights for all women.

(taken from the SOGC‘s website for International’s Women Health Program)

Please see the news release from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada dated June 28th 2010 here

Please see the Government of Canada, Summitt Outcomes website link to the Initiative on Child and Maternal Health here

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