Maternal and Child Health in Namibia - 2nd edition
During the Millennium Development Summit in 2000 the international community pledged to eliminate poverty and create a climate for sustainable development. Facilitating the attainment of this objective, eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were formulated; offering specific and measureable targets according to which policy makers appraise their development programmes. Within the context of the MDGs, maternal and child mortality was identified as urgent policy priority. This is reflected in the fourth and fifth MDGs, which set to reduce the child mortality rate (CMR) by two-thirds; and the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by three quarters between 1990 and 2015.
At a first glance of the MDGs, the reasons why health is considered so important seem obvious: Every individual, irrespective of age, gender or race has the right to lead a healthy and full life. The benefits of maternal and child health are not limited to such altruistic notions alone.
