News Release

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PM endorses greater global accountability to save lives of mothers and children

May 20, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today endorsed the final report of the United Nations Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health, which contains bold and practical measures to help save the lives of mothers and children living in the world's poorest countries.

"Making the Commission's recommendations a reality will help ensure that our collective efforts will produce tangible results for the world's most vulnerable people," said Prime Minister Harper, who led this global effort with co-chair Tanzanian President J.M. Kikwete.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released the Commission's report that includes 10 recommendations calling for an unprecedented level of accountability by all donors and developing countries, setting out actions under three main areas to produce:

• Better information for better results;
  
• Better tracking of resources for women's and children's health; and
  
• Better oversight of results and resources nationally and globally.

The report also includes recommendations for a common set of health indicators to be used for:

• Monitoring and reporting on maternal, newborn and child health;
  
• The national registration of births, deaths and causes of death; and
  
• National and global oversight of country-level progress to support continuous improvement in the delivery of health services.

"Canada's efforts are focused on strengthening health services at the community level, improving nutrition for both mothers and children and preventing and treating the most prevalent illnesses and diseases that cause maternal and child mortality. Canada will incorporate the recommendations into its work and help developing countries implement the recommendations into their own national plans."

For copies of the Keeping Promises, Measuring Results Report http://ow.ly/4Ye9r please visit the UN Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health web site.

For further information, please visit: Canada's Maternal Newborn and Child Health.

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The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
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