UNICEF gets USD 48 millions as donation for progs in India

Dharam Shourie

United Nations, Feb 24 (PTI) A leading international
business house has announced a USD 48 million donation to the
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) for its programmes in India.

Announcing the contribution, Marianne Barner, who heads
IKEA's, a global furniture retailer company, Social Initiative
wing said the funds will impact the lives of 90 million people
including 80 million young and 10 million women.

"This brings our total investment in India to around USD
120 million and our total commitment to UNICEF globally to
over USD 180 million until 2015," she added ahead of United
Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Opening the meeting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
said the role of philanthropists and philanthropic
organisations is crucial in tackling some avoidable health
threats which kill millions of vulnerable people every year.

"Health is a foundation for prosperity, stability and
poverty reduction," Ban said at the opening of the United
Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting aimed at
strengthening maternal and girls' health, as well as fighting
neglected tropical diseases.

Every year more than half a million women die from
complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, almost all
in developing countries, he told the over 400 participants,
including leaders from the business, philanthropic, academic
and global health community.

"We must put an end to these senseless deaths," Ban said,
adding that "women are engines of development and drivers of
improved health."

Reducing the maternal mortality rate by two-thirds is
among the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs), a set of
internationally agreed targets aiming to slash poverty, hunger
and eradicate other social ills by 2015.

"Maternal health is a critical component of the
well-being of any society. Yet among all the Millennium
Development Goals, this is where there has been least
progress," warned the Secretary-General.

Ban pointed to the example set by cutting down the
incidence of malaria in many countries as a way forward with
other health issues.

"By making joint efforts and strengthening coordination,
the malaria community has achieved real gains. In some African
countries there has been a dramatic decline in the incidence
of malaria," he said. PTI DS
PMR
NNNN