World Vision’s Little Book of Maternal and Child Health in the Asia Pacific

World Vision’s Little Book of Maternal and Child Health in the Asia Pacific Statistics and strategies to help bring Millennium Development Goals Four and Five within reach © World Vision Asia-Pacific 2009 Stories researched and contributed by World Vision communicators,2008/2009 Editing and design: Katie Chalk Review: Laurence Gray, Dr Sri Chander To find out more aboutWorldVision’s work with maternal and child health inAsia and the Pacific: www.wvasiapacific.org apro@wvi.org 2 Contents: Left: Doctor Goat Thameesha has always suffered from wheezing and breathing difficulties. Since he started drinking goat milk, he is stronger and his lungs less prone to asthma or infections.“A villager told me that goat milk is good medicine,” says Thameesha’s father.“So with World Vision’s help I went out and got a male and four female goats.” While the “medicinal” properties of goat milk are unconfirmed, its nutritional value for children is very high. Thameesha’s father says since the goat’s milk was introduced to his children’s diets, their wheezing has all but disappeared. Why health, why now? 4 Who is this book for? 6 Maternal and child health 8 terms and definitions Part 1: Statistics 10 Part 2: Strategies 18 Part 3: Recommendations 40 References and reading 44 Photo: Hasanthi Jayamaha/World Vision Lanka 3 Why health, why now? An introduction by Watt Santatiwat, Vice President,World Vision Asia Pacific region Maternal and child health and nutrition interventions are complex issues for the Asia Pacific region. As statistical indicators they measure the health of a nation and the level of its development. But behind those statistics are the shadows of many other urgent development issues - gender inequality, massive wealth discrepancies, inadequate education or public health spending, and the tragedy of avoidable deaths through under-prioritisation of women, children and the poor. The Asia Pacific region has made some progress in changing the health of mothers and children for the better. But we still seriously lag behind in our efforts. The region still makes up 43% of the world’s total maternal deaths, and well over 40% of our children are malnourished. In our region, 18 of the 29 developing countries are currently off-track to achieve Goal 4 – to reduce child deaths by two-thirds, and 23 are off-track to achieve Goal 5 – to reduce maternal deaths by three-quarters. In 2010,World Vision will commence advocacy efforts across the region to encourage solutions at national level on maternal and child health. Each country faces a different set of challenges, and no country can rest just yet. My home country of Thailand, for instance, has shown what can be possible with appropriate investment of government funds in its people.Yet even here, in a country that is often held up as a development model for others, there is room for improvement.We still see unacceptable levels of preventable illness and deaths in marginalised communities, and malnutrition still exists in our children in both rural and urban areas. Fighting malnutrition needs to be a priority in all Asia Pacific countries, not just for children at different stages of their growth, but also for mothers. Over 30% of women are malnourished in this region, harming expectant mothers and reducing the chances of survival for their children before they are even born. Spending on health and nutrition needs to be increased and improved.The Asia Pacific region spends well below the world average of 5.1% of GDP. In South Asia only 1.9% is currently spent on health – and one in every five children that dies worldwide is an Indian child. 4 The ADB estimates that additional government investment of only around $3 per person per year, spent carefully to target specific healthcare gaps, could bring the MDGs within reach. Private sector contribution to health coverage is a vital component of strategies for meeting MDGs Four and Five. However, this should not detract from or replace government responsibility for public health care. This region is calling out for private and public collaboration on research, improvement and promotion of healthier living, in tandem with facilities and resources to improve the health of mothers and children in the Asia Pacific’s most vulnerable communities. I urge governments and donors in the Asia Pacific to recognise the way forward on sustainable, equitable health solutions to protect mothers and their children. It is at once a humanitarian duty and an investment in the future resilience of every nation in the region. Watt Santatiwat August 2009 5 ... - tailieumienphi.vn