At the World Health Organisation(WHO)’s ‘Lives In The Balance’ Summit 2020 held on December 11, 2020, India pledged a commitment of USD 2 billion during 2020-2021 to strengthen all levels of care in response to COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure essential public health functions with focus on Women, newborns, young children and adolescents. The total commitment made by all the countries is USD 20.6 billion.
About the Summit:
‘Lives In The Balance’ Summit 2020 is organised by CORE Group, WHO’s The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and Universal health coverage (UHC)2030.
Note
PMNCH has issued a 7-point Call to Action in response to the effects of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents
Highlights of the Commitment made by Other countries
i.The low and middle-income countries including Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Liberia, and Nigeria have pledged a total amount of USD 6.6 billion (32% of the total pledge)
ii.The official development assistance and grants given by Germany, Canada, Sweden, UK, USA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation adds another USD 14 billion(68% of the total pledge) to the total commitment.
About The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH):
It is a global alliance of over 1000 organisations. It registered a total commitment of USD 20.6 billion from a group of high income, low- and middle-income countries and charitable foundations across the world.
Statistics regarding Health, Mortality Rate
Health
- As per the recent WHO data form 105 countries portrays that 90% of the countries have experienced disruptions to health services, with low- and middle-income countries reporting the greatest difficulties.
- Most frequent disrupted services include immunization services (facility-based services- 61% and outreach facilities- 70%,) and family planning and contraception services- 68%.
COVID-19
- According to the early estimate of the indirect impact of COVID-19 on child and maternal mortality, above the pre-pandemic level, over 2 million additional deaths are estimated over 12 months (2020-2021) due to the disruptions to essential health and nutrition services.
- As per UNESCO, 2.8 million children and adolescents have contracted COVID-19 in 87 countries, as of November 2020.
Mortality ratio
- Globally the maternal mortality ratio has dropped by 38% between 2000 and 2017.
- About 25,000 women are dying every month during and after pregnancy and childbirth, in 2017.
- The mortality rate for children who are under 5 years has been reduced by 60% since 1990.
- Still, 5.2 million children( under 5 years) globally die annually from preventable causes before the emergence of pandemic.
Recent Related News:
During an Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), India has announced a contributing United States (US) $10 million towards UNRWA over the coming two years.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia)
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
