Plan Canada welcomes Canada's effort but G8 Muskoka Initiative falls short

TORONTO, June 26 /CNW/ - A total of $5 billion over the next five years will be committed to support the world's poorest women and children, but this number falls far short of what Plan Canada and other NGOs are calling for from G8 leaders in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health by 2015.

Canada set a good example by committing $1.1 billion in new funding - funds that will help reduce the number of women and children dying in the developing world. Collectively however, the G8 failed to step up to its fair share of what is urgently needed globally to save the lives of millions of women and children. The longer it takes to fill the more than $30 billion MDG funding gap for maternal, newborn and child health, the more lives will be lost.

"In 2010, motherhood should not be a death sentence," said Rosemary McCarney, President and CEO of Plan Canada. "Plan was looking for more momentum at this G8 Summit, but we hope it was just a start and not the finish line. Women and children in the developing world can't afford to wait."

The G8 Accountability report is a welcome step to see that current and past promises are kept. But greater transparency needs to be matched by commitment to filling the gaps on funds allocated and spent.

Plan Canada urges leaders to leverage this commitment for a renewed push to increase momentum towards the full achievement of all MDGs at the UN Summit in September.

About Plan Canada

Plan Canada is part of Plan, a global movement for change and one of the world's oldest and largest international development agencies. Operating in more than 65 countries, and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, Plan mobilizes millions of people to support social justice for children in the developing world. Plan promotes gender equality in all of their work.

Visit: www.plancanda.ca

For further information: Kristy Payne, 416 568 6525, [email protected]