Millennium Development Goals 3, 4 and 5 had never been more than ambitious goals the world needed to achieve in order to half world poverty by 2015. Today changed that.
I attended the Asia Pacific Breakthrough Summit – a 2 day affair that aimed to unite all people working in the areas of child and maternal health and women’s empowerment and equality issues in the Asia Pacific region. It really was incredible. For the first time, women’s organisations, faith communities and development agencies came together in the common call to eliminate poverty, and the feminisation of poverty, by empowering women and girls.
I had the privilege of hearing stories from women all around the world – personal and anecdotal – and I was again reminded of the power, strength and determination of women around the world.
The case is clear – investing in women and girls is the key to ending global poverty.
World Vision launched their Child Health Now campaign last week. Having met young girls and women dying from malnutrition, malaria, hunger, pneumonia and other easily prevented conditions and diseases throughout the last 6 years in India, Ecuador and Kenya, I only know too well the importance of investing and focussing on improvements in child welfare. Currently, almost 9 million children die before their 5th birthday. Two thirds of these lives could easily be saved within five years. Because it is known that the health of children is closely linked to the care and own health of mothers, addressing preventable child deaths means attending to maternal and child health together.
Straight from the Child Health Now website, the campaign aims to do the following things. That:
1/ Mothers and children are well nourished.
2/ Mothers and children are protected from infection and disease.
3/ Mothers and children have access to essential health care.
