Investing in maternal, newborn and child health

Overview

Halfway to the MDG target date, it is clear that the “business as usual” approach to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 - to reduce child and maternal mortality and achieve universal access to reproductive health - is failing too many people in too many places in Asia and the Pacific. The lives of women and children are demonstrably affected by the quantity and quality of spending on maternal, newborn and child health – and governments have the power to fix the problem. This investment case shows the cost and impact of increased investment in proven and cost-effective reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health interventions. It is an investment in social justice, social stability and economic productivity. The current global financial crisis only brings these aforementioned challenges of financing and inequity in maternal, newborn and child health into even sharper focus.