Asean Foundation, GE Cooperate To Achieve MDGs

Jakarta, Nov 27 (ANTARA) - ASEAN Foundation and General Electric (GE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the improvement of health service in rural areas of the Southeast Asia region to achieve the fifth target of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). "The fifth target of MDGs, improving maternal health, is still far from our expectation. Therefore, the involvement of private sector, such as GE, is needed to accelerate the achievement of the target," ASEAN Foundation Executive Director Makarim Wibisono said here on Monday. He noted that the maternal mortality rate in the Southeast Asian region is still high. According to a survey conducted by ASEAN in 2011, around 44 women die every day due to pregnancy problems. Wibisono said the use of technology to detect problems in pregnancy will reduce maternal mortality rate significantly, especially in rural areas. "In some ASEAN countries where more than half of the population still live in poverty, health is not prioritized or often overlooked, particularly in rural areas," he stated. Therefore, he urged all stakeholders to work together to help provide better and affordable health services in rural areas. On the MoU, GE and ASEAN Foundation have agreed to implement competency development programs for paramedics, including doctors, nurses, and midwives. According to Wibisono, the program aims to improve the ability of paramedics to use a variety of technologies, which are designed to provide better health services in clinics and hospitals in rural areas. In addition, the two parties will cooperate with all Health Ministries of ASEAN countries to design policies and programs that are beneficial to health services in rural areas. Meanwhile, the CEO of General Electric ASEAN, Stuart Dean, said that the cooperation is intended to develop opportunities in health sector in South East Asia region. "We can see a great potential in the health sector in ASEAN countries. That`s why we are interested in developing health services," he expressed. Besides, Dean stated the MoU will provide opportunities for General Electric to make greater contributions to the development of Southeast Asia, especially in the sector of energy, transportation, and infrastructure.