Despite Rapid Progress, 5.5 Million Deaths Still Occur Every Year, Says

Secretary-General in Message to ‘Child Survival Call to Action’

 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to “Acting on the Call:  Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Death”, in Washington, D.C., today:

I am proud to join all leaders celebrating the second anniversary of the Child Survival Call to Action.

The Call to Action supports the “Every woman, every child” initiative.  I thank all of our partners — especially the Governments of Ethiopia, India and the United States.  I am particularly grateful to USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, UNICEF and the other co-hosts of this important gathering.

The world is reducing deaths of children under the age of five faster than at any time in the past two decades.  Each day, some 17,000 more children survive.  Deaths of mothers have been cut by almost half since 1990.

But, an estimated five-and-a-half million newborn and stillbirth deaths still occur every year.  Let us ensure that these children live past their fifth birthday and that fewer women die or suffer complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Next week, we will launch the Every Newborn Action Plan to support Every Woman Every Child.  I count on your engagement and support.

I commend your focus on the number of lives to be saved in two dozen priority countries to close the gap towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Working together, we can help mothers and children unleash their potential to change our world.

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For information media • not an official record