Vietnam is one of 10 nations that has successfully reduced child andmaternal deaths. It cut under-five mortality by 60 percent from 58 to23.2 per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2012. This amounted tosaving the lives of 23.4 million children.
At the same time it cut maternal mortality by 70 percent from 233 to 69 per 100,000 live births - a saving of 70,000 lives.
Thecountry increased coverage of births attended by trained health workersfrom 77 percent in 1997 to 98 percent in 2012 and stunting prevalencedropped from close to 40 percent in 1999 to 25.9 percent in 2013.
Vietnam cut child deaths by 2.4 million and maternal deaths by about 70,000 compared to 1990 mortality rates.
The other nations were Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Laos, Nepal, Peru, and Rwanda.
Thesestatistics were revealed at the third forum of the Partnership forMaternal, Newborn and Childhealth that opened in Johannesburg, SouthAfrica on June 30.
The world had made remarkable progress toimprove health and expand opportunities over the past 14 years, however,there was still much more to be done, said chair of the group, GracaMachel.
"Women and children have not been covered adequately. Wemust ensure that all women, adolescent girls, children and new-borns,no matter where they live, can have their rights to health and educationfulfilled," she said.
Despite improvements, 289,000 womenaround the world still die every year from complications at birth.Another 6.6 million children do not live to see their fifth birthday,including nearly 3 million new-borns.
At least 200 million womenand girls are unable to access family planning services that wouldallow them to control when they have children. In several countries,more than half mothers and children in the poorest 20 percent stillreceive only two or fewer of the eight interventions deemed essentialfor preventing or treating common causes of maternal and child death,including vaccinations, skilled birth attendance, pneumonia anddiarrhoea treatment, and access to family planning, according to theCountdown to 2015 Report for 2014.
The figures underscore a needto improve access to quality of skilled delivery care around the timeof birth, when most stillbirths and maternal and new-born deaths occur.
Delegatesat the forum emphasised the importance of ensuring that future effortsshould focus on countries that make slow progress and on poor andmarginalised populations, including new-borns and adolescents. They alsourged political leaders to work across different sectors, includingeducation, skills and employment, water supply and sanitation,nutrition, energy, roads and women's empowerment, to ensure anintegrated approach to improving the health of women and children.
The two-day global forum draws more than 800 leaders and public health experts from around the world.
ThePartnership for Maternal, Newborn and Childhealth is an achievement ofthe Millennium Development Goals, with women and children enabled torealise their right to the highest attainable standard of health in theyears to 2015 and beyond.-VNA
At the same time it cut maternal mortality by 70 percent from 233 to 69 per 100,000 live births - a saving of 70,000 lives.
Thecountry increased coverage of births attended by trained health workersfrom 77 percent in 1997 to 98 percent in 2012 and stunting prevalencedropped from close to 40 percent in 1999 to 25.9 percent in 2013.
Vietnam cut child deaths by 2.4 million and maternal deaths by about 70,000 compared to 1990 mortality rates.
The other nations were Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Laos, Nepal, Peru, and Rwanda.
Thesestatistics were revealed at the third forum of the Partnership forMaternal, Newborn and Childhealth that opened in Johannesburg, SouthAfrica on June 30.
The world had made remarkable progress toimprove health and expand opportunities over the past 14 years, however,there was still much more to be done, said chair of the group, GracaMachel.
"Women and children have not been covered adequately. Wemust ensure that all women, adolescent girls, children and new-borns,no matter where they live, can have their rights to health and educationfulfilled," she said.
Despite improvements, 289,000 womenaround the world still die every year from complications at birth.Another 6.6 million children do not live to see their fifth birthday,including nearly 3 million new-borns.
At least 200 million womenand girls are unable to access family planning services that wouldallow them to control when they have children. In several countries,more than half mothers and children in the poorest 20 percent stillreceive only two or fewer of the eight interventions deemed essentialfor preventing or treating common causes of maternal and child death,including vaccinations, skilled birth attendance, pneumonia anddiarrhoea treatment, and access to family planning, according to theCountdown to 2015 Report for 2014.
The figures underscore a needto improve access to quality of skilled delivery care around the timeof birth, when most stillbirths and maternal and new-born deaths occur.
Delegatesat the forum emphasised the importance of ensuring that future effortsshould focus on countries that make slow progress and on poor andmarginalised populations, including new-borns and adolescents. They alsourged political leaders to work across different sectors, includingeducation, skills and employment, water supply and sanitation,nutrition, energy, roads and women's empowerment, to ensure anintegrated approach to improving the health of women and children.
The two-day global forum draws more than 800 leaders and public health experts from around the world.
ThePartnership for Maternal, Newborn and Childhealth is an achievement ofthe Millennium Development Goals, with women and children enabled torealise their right to the highest attainable standard of health in theyears to 2015 and beyond.-VNA
