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Most
of the world's developing countries will fail to reach a set
of global targets for improving health unless major action is taken
now, the United Nations health agency said Thursday, reports The
Associated Press.
At the current rate of progress, by 2015 not a single country in
sub-Saharan Africa will succeed in reducing child mortality by
two-thirds-one of the Millennium Development Goals set by a summit
of world leaders in 2000.
Globally, only 16 percent of developing countries can meet that
target, the WHO said in a statement. Similarly, only 17% of
countries are on track to reduce deaths of women in childbirth by
three-quarters, WHO said.
The biggest problems are in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In a third area, it said, fewer than half of countries are likely
to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by
2015.
The WHO and the World Bank are holding a joint meeting of experts
in Geneva Thursday and Friday to discuss how to strengthen efforts
to meet the goals. "When these kind of targets are set, it seems
too soon to take urgent action. And then, after a few short years,
it seems too late," said Dr. Lee Jong-wook, WHO
director-general.
"There is also the hazard of everyone waiting for everyone else to
risk making the first move. We still have time to avoid these
pitfalls with the targets for 2015, but to do so we have to act
now".
A World Bank report produced for the meeting notes that progress
toward the health-related goals is slower than toward some of the
other goals, such as universal primary education. However, failure
to meet the health goals likely will affect the chances of reaching
the others, it says.
"We need to look at measures such as committing increased resources
to meeting the health-related Millennium Development Goals, and
using those resources more effectively in countries," said World
Bank President James Wolfensohn.
The meeting will hear that lack of resources is not the only
problem.
In many cases the technologies needed to improve health are
available and affordable, but the infrastructure is missing in
poorer countries.
"Delivering quality health services in poor countries is a complex
challenge, involving human resources, reliable health information
and ensuring that the poorest people are reached," WHO said.
In other news, Reuters notes that tobacco smoking is set to
increase until 2010, but at lower rates than in the past as more
people in rich countries shun the habit, the UN agriculture agency
said on Thursday.
But consumption in poorer nations will continue to rise by 1,7% a
year, with China leading the way.
The WHO predicts deaths from smoking could reach 10-million
worldwide by the late 2020s, with more than 70% of victims living
in the developing world.
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