FEWO Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on the Status of Women |
HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6 |
Comité permanent de la condition féminine |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
STANDING COMMITTEE ON STATUS OF WOMEN URGES EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGY FOR MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH AT G8
Ottawa, June 16, 2010 -
The Standing Committee on the Status of Women tabled a report Wednesday on maternal and child health in developing nations. It outlines five recommendations to guide the Government of Canada’s interventions at the upcoming G8 Summit.
“The Committee is united in supporting maternal and child health as a priority at the upcoming G8 Summit. The most important recommendation is a commitment, by all G8 partners, to additional funding that would support a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy that must include all aspects of reproductive health,” said the Honourable Hedy Fry, PC, MP for Vancouver Centre and Chair of the Committee. “Because 9 million children under five die each year, the Committee felt it was important to encourage community-based delivery of interventions and treatments that would decrease child mortality.”
Between 340, 000 and 500, 000 women die of pregnancy-related causes each year and over 50% of children under five will not reach adulthood as a result of their mother’s death. Statistics show that 9 million children under five die each year, with nearly 40% of them dying in the first weeks of life.
In its report, Maternal and Child Health, the Committee recognizes the need for G8 nations, other nations, and private and public sector donors to commit the $30 billion which will be required over the next five years to achieve the Millennium Development Goals on maternal and child health by 2015, and for Canada to commit $1.4 billion over five years toward this goal.
This report is the result of a motion which was unanimously adopted by the Committee on 12 April 2010 to study maternal and child health following the Government’s announcement that it would make maternal and child health a priority at the G8 in June. The Committee heard from 16 witnesses with expertise in maternal and child health.
The Committee urges the Canadian government to play a strong leadership role at the G8/G20 meetings to lower the high mortality rates among mothers and children in the developing world.
The Committee’s report can be found on the web at: www.parl.gc.ca/FEWO
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