New Delhi, September 07: Improving maternal health can help fight poverty, which is a top goal under the UN’s millennium development campaign, experts said Tuesday.
“Women hold the key to a better society. Our aim is to provide maternal health services and immunisation support that provides safety to the woman as well as the child she will give birth to,” said N. Srimati, executive director, Family Planning Association of India at a workshop on the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC).
According to a recent survey conducted by Whypoll, supported by UNMC, over 50 percent of India still believes that poverty is the root cause of all problems. The need for a better public distribution system in the country was also discussed.
The discussion also had representatives from World Vision and Oxfam.
“With the deep divide between the urban and the rural people, this campaign is a much needed call to demand action against poverty. Maternal health is where we will start from,” said Rajiv Chandran of the UN Information Centre.
–Agencies