22 September 2013 – Six countries have finalized their acceleration plans of action for maternal and child health in the Region and are gearing for implementation.
The six countries are Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Sudan already launched the plan in a high-level ceremony on 28 August 2013 in Khartoum in the presence of the Vice President of the Republic.
These six countries are among the 10 countries which have been the target of the regional initiative on “Saving the lives of mothers and children”, launched in Dubai in January 2013, through a partnership between countries, WHO, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UNICEF and other stakeholders. Most (94%) of the 899 000 deaths in children under-5 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in 2012 occurred in just those 10 countries.
As a result of the initiative, the 10 countries have embarked on intensive work to develop ambitious plans to progress at a faster rate in reducing deaths in mothers and under-5 children by 2015, increasing coverage with cost-effective interventions through integrated approaches and reaching the most under-served populations to reduce inequities.
Implementation of the acceleration plans in the six countries which have finalized them is expected to begin soon and cover the period until 2015.
WHO, together with its partner agencies UNFPA and UNICEF has provided support to the development of the plans.
Links
Developing maternal and child health (MCH) acceleration plans in the Region, 17–19 June 2013
Sudan launches maternal and child health acceleration plan
Child mortality estimates - CME Info
