The Department of Health (DOH), together with 3 United Nations (UN) agencies — the United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Children’s Fund, and the World Health Organization — have joined forces and resources to undertake a joint program on rapidly reducing maternal and neonatal deaths in the country and meet the Millennium Development Goals.
Results from the 2006 Family Planning Survey showed that the Philippines is among the countries with a high percentage of maternal and neonatal deaths worldwide, the maternal mortality ratio pegged at 162 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
“This joint undertaking focuses on accelerating our efforts to attain the targets of MDG #5, which is the reduction of maternal mortality ratio by 75% and the universal access to reproductive health services by 2015, and MDG #4 which is the reduction of the neonatal mortality rate”, Duque declared adding that this initiative will also attain the results desired by the National Maternal, Neonatal, Child Health & Nutrition strategy.
The new project, with the support of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) is divided into two significant phases: the Transition period (2009-2011) and the Full Operationalization Period covering the years 2011-2016.
To seal the partnerships of the three UN agencies, the DOH, and AusAID, a document was signed by the heads of the respective agencies. (DOH)