USAID Announces Action Plan to Hasten Progress on Maternal & Child Health

Statement from Joanne Carter, Executive Director of RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund

Washington, DC, June 26, 2014—Yesterday, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah announced an exciting action plan to hasten progress on maternal and child health, including the realignment of $2.9 billion in spending in 24 high priority countries, which is expected to save an additional 500,000 lives. Dr. Shah also embraced a series of recommendations from a Blue Ribbon panel of experts chaired by Ray Chambers, UN Special Envoy for Financing the Health Millennium Development Goals, including the appointment of a maternal and child health coordinator. RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund Executive Director Joanne Carter released the following statement in reaction to the announcements:

Two years ago the United States convened a global Call to Action to end preventable child deaths. I applaud the leadership of Administrator Shah and USAID efforts to further sharpen the focus of U.S. funding to bring even greater impact to our investments. This strategic realignment of funding to reach more of the populations most in need with the most effective interventions will mean hundreds of thousands additional lives saved over the next three years. The commitment to ambitious targeting and strengthened tracking and reporting of results will help ensure powerful outcomes for women and children going forward. The appointment of an empowered maternal and child health coordinator has the potential to further accelerate our progress.

This renewed commitment and even more strategic focus is a tremendous opportunity for us to advocate for greater U.S. investment in maternal and child health. We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to build momentum and expand funding so that we achieve even more rapid progress toward the end of preventable maternal and child deaths.

RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund
RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund are sister organizations that, together, are a leading force in ending poverty in the United States and around the world. We empower ordinary people to become extraordinary voices for the end of poverty in their communities, the media, and the halls of government. The collective voices of these passionate grassroots activists, coordinated with grass-tops efforts driven by our staff, leverage millions of dollars for programs and improved policies that give low-income people the tools they need to move out of poverty.

Contact:
Colin Smith
[email protected]
+1 202.783.4800 x139