PHA-Exchange> MANY COUNTRIES NOT ON TARGET TO REACH HEALTH-RELATED MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

[Aviva]

*MANY COUNTRIES NOT ON TARGET TO REACH HEALTH-RELATED MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS*

*World Bank, World Health Organization convene high-level meeting to
map
out strategy for meeting health MDGs*

*Geneva -* The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank today
warned that many developing countries will not be able to reach
health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) unless clear actions
are taken, starting now and with a concerted effort over the next 12
years. More worryingly still, the organizations noted that the health
Goals are particularly difficult to meet and that progress towards them
is slower than towards some other MDGs.

The eight MDGs were set at the United Nations Millennium Summit in
September 2000, where 189 countries committed to ambitious targets for
improving the health and well-being of hundreds of millions of people
in
the developing world by 2015. Four of the Goals relate to health: to
halve maternal and child mortality, halve the proportion of people who
suffer from hunger, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious
diseases, and improve access to safe drinking water and essential
drugs.

"When these kinds of targets are set, it seems too soon to take urgent
action, and then, after a few short years, it seems too late," said Dr
LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of WHO. "Where the targets are the
product of a large consensus there is also the hazard of everyone
waiting for everyone else to risk making the first move. We still have
time to avoid these pitfalls with the targets for 2015, but to do so we
have to act now."

The World Bank estimates that progress against child mortality has so
far been so slow that no sub-Saharan country in Africa is on target to
reach that MDG. At the current pace in the developing world as a whole,
only 16% of countries (representing 19% of the developing world's
population) are on track for this goal. Similarly, only 17% of
developing countries are likely to meet the maternal mortality MDG;
here, Latin America and the Caribbean are faring worst, with just 4.2%
of countries on track to meet the target. In addition, only 40% of
developing countries are on track to reach the malnutrition MDG.

"Even with general economic growth and faster progress on the
non-health
MDGs, many regions will still miss many of the health MDG targets. We
need to look at measures such as committing increased resources to
meeting the health-related MDGs, and using those resources more
effectively in countries," said Mr James Wolfensohn, President of the
World Bank. "Donor harmonization in resource mobilization and use,
strengthening human resources in the health sector and improving
monitoring and evaluation, through the optic of a strong country and
equity focus, will be particularly important."

Lack of progress towards the health MDGs is likely to affect progress
towards other MDGs, such as those concerned with education.
Furthermore,
for example, access to clean water and education for mothers are both
key determinants of infant and child mortality rates.


Coming together in a high-level meeting in Geneva on  8 and 9 January,
some of the most influential people in the development field, including
representatives from concerned countries, development agencies and UN
organizations will assess progress so far towards meeting the health
MDGs, and most importantly, map out what needs to be done if the world
is to stand a realistic chance of reaching those goals.

The meeting will note that slow progress in health is particularly
distressing as many of the "technologies" needed to improve health are
available and affordable. The difficulty is getting them to people: in
other words, building strong health systems in all countries. Lack of
resources is a huge constraint but that it is not the only issue.
Delivering quality health services in poor countries is a complex
challenge, involving human resources, reliable health information and
ensuring that the poorest people are reached. Countries providing aid
need also to work together better - both to raise more money and to
ensure that advice given to poor countries is consistent. All these
issues will be discussed in detail during the meeting.

Recognizing the complexity of the health agenda, participants represent
a broad group with differing perspectives: Ministers of Finance
alongside Ministers of Health, donor agencies alongside recipient
countries.


The meeting will issue a final communiqué which is expected to identify
critical actions - both at the country and international community
levels - which will facilitate the scaling up of interventions aimed at
reaching the MDGs.