Improving health of women and children is priority
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Improving women's lives through safer childbirth
Every year more than seven million children die before reaching the age of five and over a quarter of a million women lose their lives while giving birth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In 2000 world leaders set 2015 as the target date for achieving eight Millennium Development Goals to improve people's lives.
WHO says that of those goals, the two specifically concerned with improving the lives of women and children are the furthest from being achieved by 2015.
Dr Flavia Bustreo is WHO's Assistant Director General for Family, Women’s and Children’s Health.
"As of today what we know of data we still have 7.6 million children under five years of age that lose their lives every year and we have more than 300,000 women that lose their lives while giving birth. And hence this is not only priority for the heads of state that convened and declared the Millennium Development Goals but is also very much a priority for us here at the World Health Assembly." (Duration: 27")
The World Health Assembly, which comprises delegations of all Member States of WHO is the United Nations health agency's decision making body.
