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