Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark speaks during a press conference at Permanent Mission of New Zealand to the United Nations in New York on April 4, 2016. PHOTO KENA BETANCUR
Kenya has pledged $2.2 billion (Sh244.42 billion) to a global campaign to restore maternal, adolescent and newborn health and social services that were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The campaign dubbed ‘Call to Action’, which is coordinated by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), has so far received $32.1 billion in total pledges
“The majority of the pledges are domestic funding coming from middle and low-income countries themselves, with almost $17 billion from African nations. These nations are acting and not waiting for donations from others to help women, children and adolescents in their countries,” said former New Zealand Prime Minister, who chairs PMNCH, a global alliance of 1,200 organisations, hosted at the World Health Organization (WHO).
About $13.2 billion is from official development assistance committed as grants from high-income countries and a private foundation. The donor pledges were announced in December 2020.
Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance Joy Phumaphi said these funds will support women, children and adolescents in getting health services and social protection throughout the Covid-19 crisis and recovery period.
More than two million child and maternal deaths were reported over the 12 months to June 2021 due to disruption of essential health and nutrition services.
In January to March 2021, more than a year after the Covid-19 pandemic first prompted lockdowns, 44 percent of 121 countries reported disruptions to family planning and contraception services.
During the same time period, 41 percent of countries reported disruptions of services of management of moderate and severe malnutrition.
