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H.E. Dr Majed Al Juneid, Deputy Minister for Health, Yemen
“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go farl, go together” Dr Robert Black, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
“Nutrition is a central component for human, social and economic development. Intensified nutrition action in high-burdened countries can lead to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 1 and greatly increase the chances of achieving MDGs 4 and 5.”
Press Conference: IPU/Joint Countdown
"What the Countdown really illustrates is the importance of good quality data for accountability of all of the partners…" Dr. Peter Salama: Chief of Health UNICEF “ Progress on MDGs is real but is insufficient. Sub-Saharan Africa and
"Maternal and newborn health is becoming a paramount issue for us to address if we are to make gains on under-five mortality or, indeed, make substantial gains on maternal mortality. The progress for schedulable services is there, but it is less for clinical services. And, the continuum of care is failing and it is particularly failing for poor women and children who are falling behind. "What the Countdown really illustrates is the importance of good quality data for accountability of all of the partners: the Countdown partners, the governments and the partnerships that they represent, and the global community in its efforts to try to reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality. This data is critical and we hope that it will be used for action in these countries in the future.” Mr. Anders B. Johnnson, Secretary General, Inter-Parliamentary Union “What does the IPU expect to get out of this? We expect to get out of this awareness on our behalf and a commitment on the behalf of our institutions and on the members of parliament concerned to go back to their countries and to look at the laws, look at the policies, examine the budget, and see what they can do in Parliament to get things right, to get the benefit of this meeting to bring all of that back to their parliaments and to start working on it.""Finally, I would like to urge all parliamentarians:
"From your experience, from your leadership and from your commitment, we urge you to represent the voice of women and children…women and children who do not have a voice. You, Members of Parliament, could be their voice and raise their concerns on the international arena to make change happen.
"You have the power to legislate. We ask you to legislate, to ensure universal access to essential care. We ask you to make sure there is no legal hurdle to ensure that women and children benefit from those interventions.
"We ask you to oversee and monitor what the governments are delivering. Question whether they are delivering their commitments and what they said they would do to change the situation. "Budget and allocate money where it is needed. Allocate money where the difference will be felt most. "Advocate in your countries and advocate your constituencies for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "Finally, we ask you to ensure MDGs are a priority issue on the agenda throughout the year--nationally, regionally and internationally. Allocate money and address inequities in order to change the situation -- to ensure that the health of women and children will no longer be 'orphaned' ". Dr Francisco Songane
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