Gov’t to spend P8.2-B to prevent infant, maternal mortality in 2011

As the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) draws near, the Aquino administration has earmarked P8.2 billion in the 2011 budget for curbing infant and maternal mortality, according to lawmakers. This allocation will “significantly minimize the number of newborns and women lost due to childbirth-related and pregnancy complications," said House Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Roman Romulo. Around P5.7 billion will be spent on emergency obstetrics and newborn care facilities across the country. Another P2.5 billion will be set aside for the vaccination of up to 2.6 million children against diseases that are the leading causes of infant and maternal mortality— measles, neonatal tetanus, hepatitis B, and hemophilis influenza type B. The budget for the immunization next year is 152 percent higher than this year’s P991 million allotment for the program. Eight development goals The MDGs are eight international development goals that all 192 United Nations member states, and at least 23 international organizations, have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. These goals include: (1) Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; (2) Achieving universal primary education; (3) Promoting gender equality and empowering women; (4) Reducing child mortality rate; (5) Improving maternal health; (6) Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; (7) Ensuring environmental sustainability, and (8) Developing a global partnership for development. Philippine goals Under the MDG, the Philippines must reduce by two-thirds its child and maternal mortality rates by improving health care for infants, children, and pregnant women. With 1990 as the base year for initial statistics, the country must bring down the maternal mortality ratio from 209 to 52 per 100,000 live births. The Philippines must also lessen the “Under-5" child mortality rate (for children ages one to five) from 80 to 27 per 1,000 live births in 2015. On the other hand, the “under-1" infant mortality rate (for children less than a year old) should decrease from 57 to 19 per 1,000 live births by 2015. Statistics reflect progress Some progress has been made towards fulfilling these goals, as 2006 statistics show the maternal mortality rate at 162 per 100,000 births. Moreover, as of 2008, the child mortality rate had decreased to 34 per 1,000 live births, and the infant mortality rate at 25 per 1,000 live births. However, “with or without the MDG, we have to put in check the unacceptably high number of infants and mothers that we are losing on account of childbirth-related and pregnancy difficulties that are, in most cases, preventable, if not manageable," Romulo pointed out. The allocations for the improvement of facilities and programs to fight infant and maternal mortality is now included in the General Appropriations Act, Romulo said. President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino is expected to highlight this when he attends a United Nations summit scheduled from September 20 to 22 in New York. –VVP, GMANews.TV