World Youth Alliance welcomes Canada’s contribution to the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
(NEW YORK: June 25, 2010)
The World Youth Alliance (“WYA”) welcomes Prime Minister Harper’s announcement today that Canada will contribute $2.85 billion over 5 years to his new maternal and infant health initiative. The Muskoka Initiative, which emphasizes proper nutrition and pre-natal care, was announced in April as a primary focus of the G8 meeting taking place today and tomorrow in Ontario. It came under criticism by the US Secretary of State for not including funding for abortion.
World Youth Alliance supports the new initiative, as it will focus on preventing and treating the four main causes of maternal death: infection, hemorrhage, obstructed labor and hypertensive disorders. It will also focus on providing proper nutrition to mothers and children, which creates a continuum of care that will certainly lead to fewer maternal, newborn and child deaths. WYA applauds the Canadian government for rising above the rhetoric and debate regarding abortion and focusing on immediate and tangible actions to reduce maternal mortality.
“Harper’s Maternal Health Initiative prioritizes funding for the critical factors in reducing maternal mortality – nutrition, pre-natal care, and skilled birth attendants,” states Anna Halpine, founder of the World Youth Alliance. “The money is targeted to some of the poorest women in the world, who also have the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. This program recognizes the intrinsic dignity of these women and their children, and by allocating resources to ensure safe delivery, it is investing in the development of these nations. We congratulate Stephen Harper and the Canadian government for spearheading this important initiative.”
For more information, please contact Rebecca Marchinda, Director of Advocacy for the World Youth Alliance at 616.485.0919 or by emailing becky@wya.net.
The World Youth Alliance is a global coalition of young people dedicated to promoting the dignity of the human person in policy and culture and to building solidarity between young people of developing and developed nations.
