Without More Money and Better Policies, Women and Children Pay the Price
Washington DC - April 7, 2005"PAI welcomes the new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), Make Every Mother and Child Count. This research reinforces the critical importance of universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, as agreed to in Cairo and Beijing ten years ago and underscored in reports and meetings surrounding the five-year review of the Millennium Development Goals.
"The largest generation of young people ever is about to reach reproductive age, yet hundreds of millions of women still lack access to basic care in pregnancy and childbirth. PAI examined this disconnect between women’s needs and financial resources in our own report, Progress & Promises, and the research is conclusive: donor funding is increasing, but not nearly fast enough to keep pace with growing sexual and reproductive health needs, including those related to the burgeoning HIV/AIDS pandemic.
"As the international community moves to strengthen implementation of the international development agenda, including the MDGs, PAI urges the world’s wealthiest nations – including the United States – to strengthen their political and financial commitment to all aspects of sexual and reproductive health, including maternal and child health. At the same time, stronger linkages must be forged between reproductive health and HIV/AIDS communities and interventions, for example, by linking services wherever possible.
"Unfortunately, even as this report is released, the U.S. government is at the United Nations backing away from – rather than reinforcing – its commitment to the goal of universal access and continues to reject the notion that a substantial financial increase in aid is necessary to advance the international development agenda.
"The bottom line in so many aspects of life and work is money, but money is not the only answer. The answer is money wisely invested and sound policies to support those investments. Money matters and policies count – otherwise women and children pay the price."
Population Action International (PAI) works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs.
