The Government must take action on health and poverty
We are working to ensure MPs and the coalition Government keep the promises that have been made on health and poverty. You can read our reaction to the Government’s commitments on international development here.
Why not write to your MP or visit them to ask what they are going to do to help eradicate global poverty and tackle the challenges of maternal and child health and preventable disease? Find your MP’s details here.
Not enough progress has been made!
Although some progress has been made towards reaching the health Millennium Development Goals not enough has been done, as the following facts demonstrate:
- The number of infant deaths has declined steadily since 1990, but in 2007 there were still almost 9 million children who died before their 5th birthday – many of these deaths were preventable.
- Malaria kills approximately 1 million people a year, disproportionately affecting children under 5 and pregnant women. Although 24% of children under 5 are now using a mosquito net, this is still far below the global target of 80%.
- 2.3 million people were cured of TB in 2008, yet in the same year millions of patients were unable to access suitable diagnosis and care and 1.8 million people died of TB despite it being a curable disease.
The health Millennium Development Goals are inseparable. Success will only be achieved if the MDGs are addressed in a comprehensive way, building strong systems for primary health care and addressing the social determinants of health through intersectoral action.
Call to action!
We are calling on the UK Government to:
- Ensure universal access to health care
- Support health system strengthening in developing countries
- Allocate more and better aid for health
Call to Action on Health report
To read the full Call to Action on Health report click on the link!
Call to action on health report (465.42 kB)
Last modified: 07/01/2011
