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GHANA INTERNATIONAL MODEL

UNITED NATIONS 2012

PREPARATION GUIDE FOR THE 2ND COMMITTEE-

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL COMMITTEE

TOPIC: PROMOTING MATERNAL HEALTH IN THE MIDST OF THE CURRENT GLOBAL

FINANCIAL CRISIS

Prepared by:

Prince Acheampong Yeboah-Chair

Eugenia Bruce-Secretary

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CONTENTS

PAGE

1. DESCRIPTION OF

COMMITTEE…………………………………………………………………………………. 3

2. INTRODCUTION…………………………………………………………………………………

……………………….4

3. GOAL 5: MATERNAL

HEALTH…………………………………………………………………………………… 5-7

4. CURRENT REPORT ON MATERNAL

HEALTH……………………………………………………………… 8-18

5. GLOBAL FINANCIAL

CRISIS…………………………………………………………………………………………19-24

6. THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ON MATERNAL

HEALTH………………………….25

7. GUIDELINE

SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………………………………

…….26

8. REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………….27

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DESCRIPTION OF COMMITTEE

The Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN, GA Second), is concerned with global topics of

economic significance. The goal of the Second Committee is to ensure growth and development of the

economies of its member nations. The United Nations was founded on the principle of promoting world

peace; ECOFIN furthers this purpose by encouraging a stable, global economic environment in which a

peaceful exchange of goods and ideas can occur.

The United Nations was officially established on October 24th, 1946. A year later, on October 23rd, 1946

the Second General Assembly of the United Nations convened in New York for the first time. Currently,

the Second Committee is one of the six standing committees of the General Assembly. The Economic and

Financial Committee (Second Committee), is chaired by H.E. Mr. Abulkalam Abdul Momen of

Bangladesh.

During its last session, it dealt with issues relating to economic growth and development such as

macroeconomic policy questions (including international trade, international financial system, and external

debt sustainability), financing for development, sustainable development, human settlements, poverty

eradication, globalization and interdependence, operational activities for development, and information and

communication technologies for development.

The Second Committee also considered issues relating to Groups of Countries in special situations - such

as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs). It will also

consider the item on permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,

including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural

resources.

At the sixty-fifth session, the Second Committee took action on 44 draft proposals. The Committee is

expected to act on a similar number of proposals during this year’s session.

In accordance with the on-going process of revitalization of the General Assembly, the Second Committee

is engaged in updating its working methods and practices in order to improve the quality of debates and the

impact of their deliberations and decisions, as well as to further streamline the Committee’s agenda and

programme of work, biennialize agenda items, cluster the consideration of agenda items thematically, hold

interactive ―question time‖ sessions with secretariat officials after the presentation of substantive reports,

and actively work to reduce the number and length of draft resolutions adopted during its sessions.

INTRODUCTION

In September 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders agreed to eight specific and

measurable development goals now called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved by

2015. The first seven goals focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary

education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving

maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; and ensuring environmental

sustainability. The eighth goal calls for the creation of a global partnership for development, with targets

for aid, trade, and debt relief. A significant step toward meeting the MDGs was taken in Monterrey,

Mexico, in March 2002, when the international community adopted a two-pillar strategy, whereby

sustained pursuit of sound policies and good governance by the low-income countries is to be matched by

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larger and more effective international support, as well as an enabling international economic and trade

environment for development.

There are many ways in which the International Monetary Fund(IMF) and World Bank helps poor

countries achieve the sustained high levels of growth that establish the basis for poverty reduction

including through policy advice, technical assistance, financial support, and debt relief. It also tries to

ensure that developed countries’ policies are supportive of low-income countries’ development efforts, by

advocating for increased foreign aid, the opening of markets to developing countries’ exports, and the

maintenance of a healthy, enabling international economic climate.

As part of these efforts, the IMF rapidly and substantially increased its financing to low-income countries

during the global crisis, thereby helping these countries implement a counter-cyclical response and, in

particular, protect social and other priority spending. The IMF also made its concessional financing

instruments more flexible to better meet the needs of its low-income-country members. The reform also

provides exceptional interest relief (for example, zero interest payments on concessional loans through end

2011) and permanently higher concessionality.

The pressures to meet the MDGs by 2015 have further focused the IMF’s efforts on helping countries

assess the macroeconomic consequences of scaling up both their own policy efforts and external financial

support. In this context, the IMF encourages countries to develop and analyse alternative frameworks for

achieving the MDGs, and to make these underpin their poverty reduction strategies. Typically, one

scenario might include a realistic projection that assumes good policy implementation and continued donor

support at a level based on current trends and expectations. Another more ambitious projection would take

account of absorptive and administrative constraints and try to identify policies to alleviate them so as to

put the country on a higher growth path. This can help countries use the MDGs to design their policies, and

guide donors in assessing the capacity of a country to absorb increased levels of aid and put it to effective

use.

Increasingly, it is recognized that macroeconomic stability and growth depend heavily on structural and

institutional factors. Therefore, in contributing to the achievement of the MDGs, the Fund works closely

with partner agencies, especially the World Bank, but also other multilateral and bilateral providers of aid

and financing.

GOAL 5: MATERNAL HEALTH

The United Nations in its quest to make the world a better place for us decided to propose millennium

development goals to be achieved in 2015, amongst the prominent ones was Maternal Health, which had

certain targets to be achieved, these targets were categorised into two which were target A and Target B.

Target A was Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio; most maternal deaths could be avoided

also Giving birth is especially risky in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where most women deliver

without skilled care and finally the rural-urban gap in skilled care during childbirth has narrowed.

Whereas target B was geared towards Achieve universal access to reproductive health which links to the

issue that More women are receiving antenatal care, also Inequalities in care during pregnancy are striking

furthermore, Only one in three rural women in developing regions receive the recommended care during

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pregnancy moreover, Progress has stalled in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies, putting more

young mothers at risk another was Poverty and lack of education perpetuate high adolescent birth rates,

Progress in expanding the use of contraceptives by women has slowed, Use of contraception is lowest

among the poorest women and those with no education, Inadequate funding for family planning is a major

failure in fulfilling commitments to improving women’s reproductive health.

WHERE DO WE STAND?

Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high. New data show signs of progress in improving maternal

health — the health of women during pregnancy and childbirth — with some countries achieving

significant declines in maternal mortality ratios. But progress is still well short of the 5.5 per cent annual

decline needed to meet the MDG target of reducing by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio by 2015.

Progress has been made in sub-Saharan Africa, with some countries halving maternal mortality levels

between 1990 and 2008. Other regions, including Asia and Northern Africa, have made even greater

headway.

Most maternal deaths could be avoided. More than 80 per cent of maternal deaths are caused by

haemorrhage, sepsis, unsafe abortion, obstructed labour and hypertensive diseases of pregnancy. Most of

these deaths are preventable when there is access to adequate reproductive health services, equipment,

supplies and skilled healthcare workers.

More women are receiving antenatal care and skilled assistance during delivery. In all regions,

progress is being made in providing pregnant women with antenatal care. In North Africa, the percentage

of women seeing a skilled health worker at least once during pregnancy jumped by 70 per cent. Southern

Asia and Western Asia reported increases of almost Some 215 million women who would prefer to delay

or avoid childbearing lack access to safe and effective contraception. It is estimated that meeting the unmet

needs for contraception alone could cut — by almost a third — the number of maternal deaths. Funding of

reproductive and maternal health programmes is vital to meet the MDG target. Yet official development

assistance for family planning declined sharply between 2000 and 2008, from 8.2 to 3.2 per cent. Other

external funding has also declined. There is now less money available to fund these programmes than there

was in 2000.

WHAT HAS WORKED?

• Widening access to maternal health services in Egypt: The Ministry of Health and Population

significantly increased access to obstetric and neonatal care, in particular to vulnerable populations in

Upper Egypt. About 32 maternity homes were constructed in rural areas. The number of births attended by

trained healthcare workers in rural areas has since doubled to 50 per cent.

• Fighting fistula in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Arab States: In 2003, the UN Population

Fund (UNFPA), together with government and private partners, launched the Campaign to End Fistula, a

childbirth injury that leaves women incontinent, isolated and ashamed. The campaign is now active in 49

countries across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Arab States. More than 28 countries have

integrated the issue into relevant national policies and more than 16,000 women have received fistula

treatment and care.

• Investing in mobile maternal health units in Pakistan: UNFPA-supported mobile clinics were set up

in Pakistan in 2005 and had received nearly 850,000 patients by 2008. Women can use them for antenatal

consultations, deliveries, post-miscarriage complications and referrals for Caesarean section. The mobile

units managed to provide skilled birth attendance to 43 per cent of pregnant women in remote areas, 12 per

cent higher than the national average.

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WHAT IS THE UN DOING?

• UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, together with leaders from governments, foundations, NGOs and

business, launched in 2010 a Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, setting out key

actions to improve the health of women and children worldwide, with the potential of saving 16 million

lives by 2015. The Global Strategy spells out steps to enhance financing, strengthen policy and improve

service delivery, and sets in motion international institutional arrangements for global reporting, oversight

and accountability on women’s and children’s health. 50 per cent, with coverage increasing to 70 per cent

of pregnant women in Southern Asia and 79 per cent in Western Asia. In 2008, skilled health workers

attended 63 per cent of births in the developing world, up from 53 per cent in 1990. Progress was made in

all regions, but was especially dramatic in Northern Africa and South-Eastern Asia, with increases of 74

per cent and 63 per cent, respectively.

Large disparities still exist in providing pregnant women with antenatal care and skilled assistance

during delivery. Poor women in remote areas are least likely to receive adequate

care. This is especially true for regions where the number of skilled health workers remains low and

maternal mortality high— in particular sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Oceania. HIV is also

curtailing progress, contributing significantly to maternal mortality in some countries.

The risk of maternal mortality is highest for adolescent girls and increases with each pregnancy, yet

progress on family planning has stalled and funding has not kept pace with demand. Contraceptive

use has increased over the last decade. By 2007, 62 per cent of women who were married or in union were

using some form of contraception. However, these increases are lower than in the 1990s.

• UNFPA, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World

Bank, as well as the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), have joined forces as Health 4+

(H4+) to support countries with the highest rates of maternal and newborn mortality. The H4+ partners

support emergency obstetric and neonatal care needs assessments and help cost national maternal, newborn

and child health plans, mobilize resources, increase the number of skilled health workers, and improve

access to reproductive health services.

• In 2009, WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA partnered with the African Union Ministers of Health as well as

bilateral aid and non-governmental organizations to launch the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of

Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA). The campaign aims to save the lives of mothers and newborns.

It is active in 20 African countries, including Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia,

Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Swaziland.

• A programme led by UNFPA and the International Confederation for Midwives is active in 15 countries

in Africa, the Arab States and Latin America, working closely with Ministers of Health and Education to

increase the capacity and the number of midwives. Under the programme, Uganda has developed a plan to

promote quality midwife training; Northern Sudan has developed the first ever national midwifery strategy;

and in Ghana, a nationwide needs assessment of all the midwifery schools will help strengthen training.

• UNFPA’s Global Programme to Enhance Reproductive Health Commodity Security and WHO’s

evidence-based guidance in family planning have helped improve access to reproductive health supplies in

more than 70 countries, including in Ethiopia, where the contraceptive prevalence rate has more than

doubled since 2005, and in Laos, Madagascar and Mongolia, where significant progress in the use of

voluntary family planning was also noted.

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CURRENT GLOBAL REPORT

Achieving good maternal health requires quality reproductive health services and a series of well-timed

interventions to ensure a women’s safe passage to motherhood. Failure to provide these results in hundreds

of thousands of needless deaths each year—a sad reminder of the low status accorded to women in many

societies. Measuring maternal mortality death resulting from the complications of pregnancy or childbirth

is challenging At best. Systematic underreporting and misreporting are common, and estimates lie within

large ranges of uncertainty. Nevertheless, acceleration in the provision of maternal and Reproductive health

services to women in all regions, along with positive trend data on maternal mortality and morbidity,

suggest that the world is making some progress on MDG 5. New estimates of maternal mortality are

currently being finalized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund

(UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Bank. Preliminary data show

signs of progress, with some countries achieving significant declines in maternal mortality ratios. However,

the rate of reduction is still well short of the 5.5 per cent annual decline needed to meet the MDG target.

Most maternal deaths could be avoided

The leading causes of maternal mortality in developing regions are haemorrhage and hypertension, which

together account for half of all deaths in expectant or new mothers. Indirect causes, including malaria,

HIV/AIDS and heart disease, result in 18 per cent of maternal deaths. Other direct causes, such as

obstructed labour, complications of anaesthesia or caesarean section, and ectopic pregnancy, lead to 11 per

cent of all deaths during pregnancy or childbirth. The vast majority of these deaths are avoidable.

Haemorrhage, for example, which accounts for over one third of maternal deaths, can be prevented or

managed through a range of interventions administered by a skilled health-care provider with adequate

equipment and supplies.

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The leading causes of maternal mortality in developing regions are haemorrhage and hypertension, which

together account for half of all deaths in expectant or new mothers. Indirect causes, including malaria,

HIV/ AIDS and heart disease, result in 18 per cent of maternal deaths. Other direct causes, such as

obstructed labour, complications of anaesthesia or caesarean section, and ectopic pregnancy, lead to 11 per

cent of all deaths during pregnancy or childbirth. The vast majority of these deaths are avoidable.

Haemorrhage, for example, which accounts for over one third of maternal deaths, can be prevented or

managed through a range of interventions administered by a skilled health-care provider with adequate

equipment and supplies.

Giving birth is especially risky in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where most women deliver

without skilled care

Proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health personnel, 1990 and 2008 (Percentage)

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The proportion of women in developing countries who received skilled assistance during delivery rose

from 53 per cent in 1990 to 63 per cent in 2008. Progress was made in all regions, but was especially

dramatic in Northern Africa and South-Eastern Asia, with increases of 74 per cent and 63 per cent,

respectively. Southern Asia also progressed, although coverage there, as well as in sub-Saharan Africa,

remains inadequate. Less than half the women giving birth in these regions are attended by skilled health

personnel.

The rural-urban gap in skilled care during childbirth has narrowed

Ratio of urban women to rural women attended by skilled health personnel during delivery, 1990 and 2008

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More rural women are receiving skilled assistance during delivery, reducing long-standing disparities

between urban and rural areas. In Southern Asia, for example, urban women were three times more likely

as their rural counterparts to receive professional care at childbirth in 1990; by 2008, they were only twice

as likely to receive such care, indicating some improvement. Still, inequalities persist, especially in regions

where attendance by skilled personnel is lowest and maternal mortality highest—notably in sub-Saharan

Africa, Southern Asia and Oceania. Serious disparities in coverage are also found between the wealthiest

and the poorest households. The widest gaps are in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where the

wealthiest women are five times more likely and three times more likely, respectively, as the poorest

women to be attended by trained health-care workers at delivery. In the developing regions as a whole,

women in the richest households are three times as likely as women in the poorest households to receive

professional care during childbirth.

TARGET

Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

More women are receiving antenatal care

Proportion of women attended at least once during pregnancy by skilled health-care personnel, 1990 and

2008 (Percentage)

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In all regions, progress is being made in providing pregnant women with antenatal care. Remarkable gains

were recorded in Northern Africa, where the share of women who saw a skilled health worker at least once

during pregnancy increased by 70 per cent. Southern Asia and Western Asia reported increases of almost

50 per cent.

Inequalities in care during pregnancy are striking

Proportion of women attended at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel, by household

wealth quintile, 2003/2008 (Percentage)

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Disparities in the share of women receiving antenatal care by wealth are striking, particularly in Southern

Asia, Northern Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Even in South-Eastern Asia, where over 90 per cent of

women receive skilled care during pregnancy, only 77 per cent of women in the poorest households are

covered, versus almost 100 per cent of women in the wealthiest households. Large disparities also exist

between women living in rural and urban areas, although the gap narrowed between 1990 and 2008. In

sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of urban women who received antenatal care at least once increased

from 84 per cent in 1990 to 89 per cent in 2008. The corresponding proportions for rural women are 55 to

66 per cent, indicating that coverage has improved at a faster pace among rural women.

Only one in three rural women in developing regions receive the recommended care during

pregnancy

Proportion of women attended four or more times during pregnancy by area of residence, 2003/2008

(Percentage).

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Women should receive care from a trained health-care practitioner at least four times during the course of

their pregnancies, according to WHO and UNICEF recommendations. However, less than half of pregnant

women in developing regions and only a third of rural women receive the recommended four visits.

Among rural women in Southern Asia, the share is only 25 per cent.

Progress has stalled in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies, putting more young mothers at

risk

Number of births per 1,000 women aged 15-19, 1990, 2000 and 2007

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In all regions, the adolescent birth rate (the number of births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19) decreased

between 1990 and 2000. Since that time, progress has slowed and, in some regions, increases have even

been recorded. The highest birth rate among adolescents is found in sub-Saharan Africa, which has seen

little progress since 1990. Adolescents, in general, face greater obstacles than adult women in accessing

reproductive health services.

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Poverty and lack of education perpetuate high adolescent birth rates

Adolescent birth rates by background characteristics in 24 sub-Saharan African countries, 1998/2008

(Number of births to women aged 15-19 per 1,000 women)

Data for 24 countries in sub-Saharan Africa show that adolescents in the poorest households are three times

more likely to become pregnant and give birth than those in the richest households. In rural areas,

adolescent birth rates are almost double those of urban areas. But the largest disparities are linked to

education: girls with a secondary education are the least likely to become mothers. The birth rate among

girls with no education is over four times higher. Even more worrisome is the widening of disparities over

time. The adolescent birth rate declined in 18 of the 24 sub-Saharan countries studied. However, in almost

all these 18 countries the decline was largest among adolescents living in urban areas, among those with at

least a secondary education, and among those belonging to the richest 20 per cent of households. Thus,

disparities between those groups and rural, less educated and poorer adolescents have increased, rather than

decreased, over time.

Progress in expanding the use of contraceptives by women has slowed

Proportion of women who are using any method of contraception among women aged 15-49, married or in

union, 1990, 2000 and 2007 (Percentage)

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During the 1990s, use of contraceptives increased among women in almost every region. By 2007, over 60

per cent of women aged 15 to 49 who were married or in union were using some form of contraception.

Yet this average masks two disturbing trends: a considerable slowdown in progress since 2000 and a

widening gap among regions. From 2000 to 2007, the annual rate of increase in contraceptive prevalence in

almost all regions was lower than it had been during the 1990s. Moreover, contraceptive prevalence in sub-

Saharan Africa and Oceania continues to be very low. And in several sub regions, traditional and less

effective methods of contraception are still widely used. Satisfying women’s unmet need for family

planning—that is, facilitating access to modern contraceptives by women who desire to delay or avoid

pregnancy but who are currently not using contraception—could improve maternal health and reduce the

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number of maternal deaths. Recent estimates indicate that meeting that need could result in a 27 per cent

drop in maternal deaths each year by reducing the annual number of unintended pregnancies from 75

million to 22 million. Preventing closely spaced pregnancies and pregnancies among adolescents would

also improve the health of women and girls and increase the chances that their children will survive. The

unmet need for family planning remains moderate to high in most regions, particularly in sub-Saharan

Africa, where one in four women aged 15 to 49 who are married or in union and have expressed the desire

to use contraceptives do not have access to them.

Use of contraception is lowest among the poorest women and those with no education

Contraceptive prevalence by background characteristics in 22 sub-Saharan African countries, surveys

around 1994-2003 and 1998-2008 (Percentage of women using at least one contraceptive method among

women aged 15-49, married or in union)

Ensuring that family planning services reach poor women and those with little education remains

particularly challenging. Surveys conducted in 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa show that contraceptive

use to avoid or delay pregnancy is lowest among rural women, among women with no schooling and

among those living in the poorest households. In these countries, contraceptive use is four times higher

among women with a secondary education than among those with no education, and is almost four times

higher among women in the richest households than those in the poorest households. Almost no

improvement has been made over time in increasing contraceptive prevalence among women in the poorest

households and among those with no education.

Inadequate funding for family planning is a major failure in fulfilling commitments to improving

women’s reproductive health

Official development assistance to health, total (Constant 2008 US$ millions) and proportion going to

reproductive health care and family planning, 2000-2008 (Percentage)

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Ensuring that even the poorest and most marginalized women can freely decide the timing and spacing of

their pregnancies requires targeted policies and adequately funded interventions. Yet financial resources for

family planning services and supplies have not kept pace with demand. Aid for family planning as a

proportion of total aid to health declined sharply between 2000 and 2008, from 8.2 per cent to 3.2 per cent.

Aid to reproductive health services has fluctuated between 8.1 per cent and 8.5 per cent. External funding

for family planning in constant 2008 US dollars actually declined during the first few years of this decade

and has not yet returned to its 2000 level.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS

The global financial crisis, brewing for a while, really started to show its effects in the middle of 2007 and

into 2008. Around the world stock markets have fallen, large financial institutions have collapsed or been

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bought out, and governments in even the wealthiest nations have had to come up with rescue packages to

bail out their financial systems.

On the one hand many people are concerned that those responsible for the financial problems are the ones

being bailed out, while on the other hand, a global financial meltdown will affect the livelihoods of almost

everyone in an increasingly inter-connected world. The problem could have been avoided, if ideologues

supporting the current economics models weren’t so vocal, influential and inconsiderate of others’

viewpoints and concerns.

The financial crisis and wealthy countries

Many blame the greed of Wall Street for causing the problem in the first place because it is in the US that

the most influential banks, institutions and ideologues that pushed for the policies that caused the problems

are found. The crisis became so severe that after the failure and buyouts of major institutions, the Bush

Administration offered a $700 billion bailout plan for the US financial system. This bailout package was

controversial because it was unpopular with the public, seen as a bailout for the culprits while the ordinary

person would be left to pay for their folly. The US House of Representatives initial rejected the package as

a result, sending shock waves around the world. It took a second attempt to pass the plan, but with add-ons

to the bill to get the additional congressmen and women to accept the plan. However, as former Nobel

prize winner for Economics, former Chief Economist of the World Bank and university professor at

Columbia University, Joseph Stiglitz, argued, the plan ―remains a very bad bill:‖

“I think it remains a very bad bill. It is a disappointment, but not a surprise, that the administration

came up with a bill that is again based on trickle-down economics. You throw enough money at Wall

Street, and some of it will trickle down to the rest of the economy. It’s like a patient suffering from

giving a massive blood transfusion while there’s internal bleeding; it doesn’t do anything about the

basic source of the hemorrhaging, the foreclosure problem. But that having been said, it is better than

doing nothing, and hopefully after the election, we can repair the very many mistakes in it.”

— Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz: Bail Out Wall Street Now, Change Terms Later,

Democracy Now!, October 2, 2008

In Europe, starting with Britain, a number of nations decided to nationalize, or part-nationalize some

failing banks to try and restore confidence. The US resisted this approach at first, as it goes against the

rigid free market view the US has taken for a few decades now. Eventually, the US capitulated and the

Bush Administration announced that the US government would buy shares in troubled banks.

This illustrates how serious this problem is for such an ardent follower of free market ideology to do this

(although free market theories were not originally intended to be applied to finance, which could be part of

a deeper root cause of the problem).

Perhaps fearing an ideological backlash, Bush was quick to say that buying stakes in banks ―is not intended

to take over the free market, but to preserve it.‖ Professor Ha-Joon Chang of Cambridge University

suggests that historically America has been more pragmatic about free markets than their recent ideological

rhetoric suggests, a charge by many in developing countries that rich countries are often quite protectionist

themselves but demand free markets from others at all times.

While the US move was eventually welcomed by many, others echo Stiglitz’s concern above. For example,

former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Department in the Reagan administration and a former associate

editor of the Wall Street Journal, Paul Craig Roberts also argues that the bailout should have been to help

people with failing mortgages, not banks: ―The problem, according to the government, is the defaulting

mortgages, so the money should be directed at refinancing the mortgages and paying off the foreclosed

ones. And that would restore the value of the mortgage-backed securities that are threatening the financial

institutions [and] the crisis would be over. So there’s no connection between the government’s explanation

of the crisis and its solution to the crisis.‖ (Interestingly, and perhaps the sign of the times, while Europe

and US consider more socialist-like policies, such as some form of nationalization, China seems to be

contemplating more capitalist ideas, such as some notion of land reform, to stimulate and develop its

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internal market. This, China hopes, could be one way to try and help insulate the country from some of the

impacts of the global financial crisis.)

Despite the large $700 billion US plan, banks have still been reluctant to lend. This led to the US Fed

announcing another $800 billion stimulus package at the end of November. About $600bn is marked to

buy up mortgage-backed securities while $200bn will be aimed at unfreezing the consumer credit market.

This also reflects how the crisis has spread from the financial markets to the ―real economy‖ and consumer

spending. By February 2009, according to Bloomberg, the total US bailout is $9.7 trillion. Enough to pay

off more than 90 percent of America’s home mortgages (although this bailout barely helps homeowners).

Europe and the financial crisis

In Europe, a number of major financial institutions failed. Others needed rescuing. In Iceland, where the

economy was very dependent on the finance sector, economic problems have hit them hard. The banking

system virtually collapsed and the government had to borrow from the IMF and other neighbours to try and

rescue the economy. In the end, public dissatisfaction at the way the government was handling the crisis

meant the Iceland government fell.

A number of European countries have attempted different measures (as they seemed to have failed to come

up with a united response). For example, some nations have stepped in to nationalize or in some way

attempt to provide assurance for people. This may include guaranteeing 100% of people’s savings or

helping broker deals between large banks to ensure there isn’t a failure.

The EU is also considering spending increases and tax cuts said to be worth €200bn over two years. The

plan is supposed to help restore consumer and business confidence, shore up employment, getting the

banks lending again, and promoting green technologies.

Russia’s economy is contracting sharply with many more feared to slide into poverty. One of Russia’s key

exports, oil, was a reason for a recent boom, but falling prices have had a big impact and investors are

withdrawing from the country.

Structural Adjustment for Industrialized Nations

For decades, structural adjustment policies in the developing nations (often strongly encouraged by the

wealthy nations) has created poverty or made things worse.

Now, with such a severe financial crisis industrialized nations from Greece, to UK and others are

contemplating such strong austerity measures and cutbacks on public services that it looks like the

structural adjustment the developing world has had to endure.

For example, UK’s new government has come in mostly on a platform of blaming the previous

government for causing the crisis, ignoring any ideological encouragement from the private sector or their

own party insisted before the Labour Party had come into power (though Labour also encouraged the same

thinking). As such, the new Conservative government has insisted that because of policies of the past

government, they have no alternative but to cut back on all manner of social spending (all while various

bankers get ready to be rewarded with more bonuses!).

Yet, as Professor Ha Joon Chang notes, the fall in tax revenues has made the deficit hard to sustain, not

government spending per se: Companies and individuals have been unable to earn as much as before the

recession so the fall in that revenue for governments leaves their previously high spending look like

immense bureaucratic waste holes. Bringing about sustainable and appropriate growth is more important

than cuts to areas that didn’t cause the problem he seems to imply, while not enough is being done to

prevent future crises of the same type. Excessive cuts, he warns, can even push a country further into

recession if it is not addressing the core causes of the crisis in the first place. Stories of strikes and protests

are increasingly commonplace, and if the experience of developing nations are anything to go by in

previous decades, similar protests are likely in the future in industrialized nations.

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One such example is in Ireland that has recently seen a bailout package from the EU, IMF and others

require an austerity budget, much like the harmful structural adjustment policies the developing world went

through. Other Euro zone countries such as Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain are also facing potential

problems, while Iceland has gone through many in the past.

Former Nobel Prize winner for economics, Paul Krugman compared Iceland and Ireland’s handling of the

situation and found that Ireland’s situation is potentially worse than Iceland’s because ―the Irish

government stepped in to guarantee the banks’ debt, turning private losses into public obligations.‖

Ireland’s economic growth turned to disaster when speculative frenzy, driven by banks and the real estate

sector, and possibly corrupt politicians, ended with banks bursting. Ireland’s credit-worthiness in

international markets was under fire so it took on austerity measures. So, in effect, actions by banks and

others have left the nation in recession, with the public bailing them out, while taking on the effects to their

economy; a double-whammy so to speak. As Krugman ends, punishing the Irish population for the

mistakes of the banks and others is a terrible mistake.

By contrast, Krugman also notes that Iceland’s banks had to pay for their mistakes, leading to a decline in

Iceland’s external debt. (Other measures including temporary capital controls also helped. Iceland’s own

currency, the Krona, instead of Euro may have helped it too as it was able to devalue its currency, making

its exports more competitive and thus helping it somewhat.)

Ireland is now in a tough spot as protesters have a legitimate cause to be concerned while others are

worried that if actions such as considering increasing corporate tax are entertained, major multinationals

that have been part of Ireland’s recent boom, may make good on their threat to move to other places that

are more favourable to them although the $100bn bailout conditions currently do not require that.

The financial crisis and the developing world

For the developing world, the rise in food prices as well as the knock-on effects from the financial

instability and uncertainty in industrialized nations are having a compounding effect. High fuel costs,

soaring commodity prices together with fears of global recession are worrying many developing country

analysts.

Summarizing a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report, the Third World Network

notes the impacts the crisis could have around the world, especially on developing countries that are

dependent on commodities for import or export

Asia and the financial crisis

Countries in Asia are increasingly worried about what is happening in the West. A number of nations urged

the US to provide meaningful assurances and bailout packages for the US economy, as that would have a

knock-on effect of reassuring foreign investors and helping ease concerns in other parts of the world.

Many believed Asia was sufficiently decoupled from the Western financial systems. Asia has not had a

subprime mortgage crisis like many nations in the West have, for example. Many Asian nations have

witnessed rapid growth and wealth creation in recent years. This lead to enormous investment in Western

countries. In addition, there was increased foreign investment in Asia, mostly from the West.

However, this crisis has shown that in an increasingly inter-connected world means there are always

knock-on effects and as a result, Asia has had more exposure to problems stemming from the West. Many

Asian countries have seen their stock markets suffer and currency values going on a downward trend.

Asian products and services are also global, and a slowdown in wealthy countries means increased chances

of a slowdown in Asia and the risk of job losses and associated problems such as social unrest.

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India and China are the among the world’s fastest growing nations and after Japan, are the largest

economies in Asia. From 2007 to 2008 India’s economy grew by a whopping 9%. Much of it is fuelled by

its domestic market. However, even that has not been enough to shield it from the effect of the global

financial crisis, and it is expected that in data will show that by March 2009 that India’s growth will have

slowed quickly to 7.1%. Although this is a very impressive growth figure even in good times, the speed at

which it has dropped—the sharp slowdown—is what is concerning.

China similarly has also experienced a sharp slowdown and its growth is expected to slow down to 8%

(still a good growth figure in normal conditions). However, China also has a growing crisis of unrest over

job losses. Both have poured billions into recovery packages.

China similarly has also experienced a sharp slowdown and its growth is expected to slow down to 8%

(still a good growth figure in normal conditions). However, China also has a growing crisis of unrest over

job losses. Both have poured billions into recovery packages.

With China concerned about its economy, it has been trying to encourage its companies to invest more

overseas, hoping it will reduce the upward pressure on its currency, the Yuan.

China has also raised concerns about the world relying on mostly one foreign currency reserve, and called

for the dollar to be replaced by a world reserve currency run by the IMF. Of course, the US has defended

the dollar as a global currency reserve, which is to be expected given it is one of its main sources of global

economic dominance. Whether a change like this would actually happen remains to be seen, but it is likely

the US and its allies will be very resistant to the idea.

Japan, which has suffered its own crisis in the 1990s, also faces trouble now. While their banks seem more

secure compared to their Western counterparts, it is very dependent on exports. Japan is so exposed that in

January alone, Japan’s industrial production fell by 10%, the biggest monthly drop since their records

began.

Japan’s output for the first 3 months of 2009 plunged at its quickest pace since records began in 1955,

mostly due to falling exports. A rise in industrial output in April was expected, but was positively more

than initially estimated. However, with high unemployment and general lack of confidence, optimism for

recovery has been dampened.

Towards the end of October 2008, a major meeting between the EU and a number of Asian nations resulted

in a joint statement pledging a coordinated response to the global financial crisis. However, as Inter Press

Service (IPS) reported, this coordinated response is dependent on the entry of Asia’s emerging economies

into global policy-setting institutions.

This is very significant because Asian and other developing countries have often been treated as second-

class citizens when it comes to international trade, finance and investment talks. This time, however, Asian

countries are potentially trying to flex their muscle, maybe because they see an opportunity in this crisis,

which at the moment mostly affects the rich West.

Asian leaders had called for ―effective and comprehensive reform of the international monetary and

financial systems.‖ For example, as IPS also noted in the same report, one of the Chinese state-controlled

media outlets demanded that ―We want the U.S. to give up its veto power at the International Monetary

Fund and European countries to give up some more of their voting rights in order to make room for

emerging and developing countries.‖ They also added, ―And we want America to lower its protectionist

barriers allowing an easier access to its markets for Chinese and other developing countries’ goods.‖

Whether this will happen is hard to know. Similar calls by other developing countries and civil society

around the world, for years, have come to no avail. This time however, the financial crisis could mean the

US is less influential than before. A side-story of the emerging Chinese superpower versus the declining

US superpower will be interesting to watch.

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It would of course be too early to see China somehow using this opportunity to decimate the US,

economically, as it has its own internal issues. While the Western mainstream media has often hyped up a

―threat‖ posed by a growing China, the World Bank’s chief economist (Lin Yifu, a well respected Chinese

academic) notes ―Relatively speaking, China is a country with scarce capital funds and it is hardly the time

for us to export these funds and pour them into a country profuse with capital like the U.S.‖

China has, however, used this opportunity to attempt to attract neighbouring nations into its orbit by

attempting to foster better economic ties. According to an IPS analysis, this has been a goal for a while, but

the recent financial crisis has provided more opportunities for China to step up to this.

An improved investment deal between China and Taiwan maybe one example of this improving

engagement in the region. The economic crisis may also be encouraging greater ties in this manner, as it

would be important for Taiwan in particular (as it has been in recession since the end of 2008).

Asian nations are mulling over the creation of an alternative Asia foreign exchange fund, but market

shocks are making some Asian countries nervous and it is not clear if all will be able to commit.

What seems to be emerging is that Asian nations may have an opportunity to demand more fairness in the

international arena, which would be good for other developing regions, too.

Africa and the financial crisis

Perhaps ironically, Africa’s generally weak integration with the rest of the global economy may mean that

many African countries will not be affected from the crisis, at least not initially, as suggested by Reuters in

September 2008.

The wealthier ones who do have some exposure to the rest of the world, however, may face some

problems.

In recent years, there has been more interest in Africa from Asian countries such as China. As the financial

crisis is hitting the Western nations the hardest, Africa may yet enjoy increased trade for a while.

These earlier hopes for Africa, above, may be short lived, unfortunately. In May 2009, the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that Africa’s economic growth will plummet because of the world economic

downturn, predicting growth in sub-Saharan Africa will slow to 1.5% in 2009, below the rate of population

growth (revising downward a March 2009 prediction of 3.25% growth due to the slump in commodity

prices and the credit squeeze).

South Africa, Africa’s largest economy, has entered into recession for the first time since 1992, due to a

sharp decline in the key manufacturing and mining sectors.

The IMF has promised more aid to the region, importantly with looser conditions, which in the past have

been very detrimental to Africa. Many will likely remain sceptical of IMF loans given this past, as Stiglitz

and others have already voiced concerns about (see further below).

In the long run, it can be expected that foreign investment in Africa will reduce as the credit squeeze takes

hold. Furthermore, foreign aid, which is important for a number of African countries, is likely to diminish.

(Effectiveness of aid is a separate issue which the previous link details.)

African countries could face increasing pressure for debt repayment, however. As the crisis gets deeper and

the international institutions and western banks that have lent money to Africa need to shore up their

reserves more, one way could be to demand debt repayment. This could cause further cuts in social

services such as health and education, which have already been reduced due to crises and policies from

previous eras.

Much of the debts owed by African nations are odious, or unjust debts, as detailed further below, which

would make any more aggressive demands of repayment all the more worrisome.

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Some African countries have already started to cut their health and HIV budgets due to the economic crisis.

Their health budgets and resources have been constrained for many years already, so this crisis makes a

bad situation worse.

Latin America and the financial crisis

Much of Latin America depends on trade with the United States (which absorbs half of Latin America’s

exports, alone, for example). As such Latin America will also feel the effect of the US financial crisis and

slower growth in Latin America is expected.

Due to its proximity to the US and its close relationship via the NAFTA and other agreements, Mexico is

expected to have one of the lowest growth rates for the region next year at 1.9%, compared to a

downgraded forecast of 3% for the rest of the region.

A number of countries in the region have come together in the form of the Latin American Pacific Arc and

are hoping to improve trade and investment with Asia. Diversifying in this way might be good for the

region and help provide some stability against future crises. For the moment, the integration is going

ahead, despite concerns about the financial crisis.

However, the problems of a regional blocs, Mercosur (the Southern Common Market), shows that not all is

well. While Mercosur is its relevance being questioned, an IPS overview of its recent challenges also

highlights that a number of South American countries are raising trade barriers against their neighbours as

the crisis starts to bite more. Rather than regional integration and a unified position to present to the rest of

the world, concerns of fragmentation are increasing. This also affects Brazil, as the regional economic

superpower; more bickering within its sphere means distraction from the global scene.

THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ON MATERNAL HEALTH

The impact of the economic crisis on child and maternal health is perceived to be minimal. The minimal

impact is attributed to state policies that have been promoting local, household-level food production

(through home gardens), as well as controls of some food prices (mainly rice), which have helped to

maintain food availability. However, it is noted that the diversity of food consumed might have been

affected and that families may be restricting their intake of certain types of nutritious food.

"The diversity of their food maybe affected. May restrict diversity especially when it comes to animal

sources of protein more than calorie sources."

Child Health Expert, Family Health Bureau

While there is a certain level of complacency among officials, others warn that it may be too early to

determine what the impacts may be as there is not yet adequate information. The available data on poverty

and child wellbeing does not capture the dynamism of these conditions and, hence, is unable to fully assess

the impacts of the economic crisis. At the same time, the economic crisis is not considered a priority in

light of other emergencies, such as the civil conflict and its effects. As a result, there is a lack of perceived

urgency to improve information among other mechanisms to address the health impacts of the crisis.

"We use different health indicators to measure maternal and child health. Information on some of these

are collected only annually. The financial crisis happened recently so there might not be a lot of

information."

Director, Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition

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Discussion with health professionals further substantiated that the increase in prices of food could lead to

families, especially those in the lower-income groups, buying cheaper food that is not of high nutritional

value. Protein consumption, especially of animal protein, could be minimized in an effort to reduce cost,

therefore exacerbating the problem of under nutrition.

"Yes, the cost of living has gone up. Whatever the thing, people are going to curtail expenses on food. In

our country no matter what happens we don't curtail children's education. Ultimately they are going to

restrict the purchasing power of the food they eat. Nutrition is directly affected. I think there will be

reduced intake of food or they go for cheap food. They might reduce the amount or quality. They might

have rice with one curry maybe, not having a balanced diet."

Nutrition Consultant, UNICEF

Women in lower-income groups are more at risk of being in situations where their health will be adversely

affected than others in their households. Health professionals noted that the nutrition of the husband and

children, especially in the lower-income groups, is put first because if the husband misses a day of work

due to bad health, the household's income will dwindle, affecting everyone. Mothers may also reduce their

food consumption in order to give priority to the education of their children.

Globally, during 2004–2005, official development assistance for child, newborn, and maternal health

increased by 28%. This included a 49% increase in spending for child health and a 21% increase for

maternal and newborn health. This increase was seen in most Countdown priority countries, but a decrease

was seen in others. While the benefits of the increased aid have resulted in improvements in the areas of

child, maternal, and newborn health, UNICEF (2008c) notes that the programs focusing on these areas are

still underfunded, with much more needing to be done to rectify the situation.

GUIDELINE SUMMARY

The United Nations in its quest to make the world a better place for us decided to propose millennium

development goals to be achieved in 2015, amongst the prominent ones was Maternal Health, which had

certain targets to be achieved, these targets were categorised into two which were target A and Target B.

Target A was Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio; most maternal deaths could be avoided

also Giving birth is especially risky in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where most women deliver

without skilled care and finally the rural-urban gap in skilled care during childbirth has narrowed.

Whereas target B was geared towards Achieve universal access to reproductive health which links to the

issue that More women are receiving antenatal care, also Inequalities in care during pregnancy are striking

furthermore, Only one in three rural women in developing regions receive the recommended care during

pregnancy moreover, Progress has stalled in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies, putting more

young mothers at risk another was Poverty and lack of education perpetuate high adolescent birth rates,

Progress in expanding the use of contraceptives by women has slowed, Use of contraception is lowest

among the poorest women and those with no education, Inadequate funding for family planning is a major

failure in fulfilling commitments to improving women’s reproductive health.

In the event of this Goal 5 was a major disaster that hit the whole world, which was the Global Crisis better

known as Economic turn down or Global recession which started to show its effect in the middle of 2007

and into 2008. Around the world stock markets have fallen, large financial institutions have collapsed or

been bought out, and governments in even the wealthiest nations have had to come up with rescue

packages to bail out their financial systems.

In this set back it actually had a large toll on the Achievement of maternal health since most of the

programs drawn involved huge sums of money to implement and achieve set results, countries that were

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supporting such causes were also affected including USA, so then the correlation then will be that the

needed capacity to achieve this goal 5 will in effect be reduced thus drawing us back in time in order to

facilitate such cause.

Therefore, this puts delegates in the position to bring out strategic ways of promoting maternal health in the

midst of this Global Financial issue which reports recently shows that there is the likely hood of another

recession hitting the world again.

REFERENCES

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/financial_crisis_20090401/en/index.h

tml

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/bkgd.shtml

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/maternal.shtml

http://www.globalissues.org/article/768/global-financial-crisis

http://www.adbi.org/working-

paper/2011/07/01/4624.impact.economic.crisis.child.health.poor/

“Global Financial Crisis.” Global Issues. 11 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.globalissues.org/article/768/global-financial-crisis>.

UNICEF 2008. Countdown to 2015 – Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival. Tracking

Progress in Maternal, Newborn & Child Survival - The 2008 Report, Version 2. UNICEF.

http://www.countdown2015mnch.org/documents/2008report/2008Countdown2015FullRe

port_2ndEdition_1x1.pdf, accessed January, 2012

WORLD BANK, 2009. South Asia Regional Development Marketplace on Nutrition 2009

– Innovate for Nutrition: Family and Community Approaches to Improve Infant and

Young Child Nutrition. World Bank

http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Country_Health_System_Profile_6-maldives.pdf,

http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Country_Health_System_Profile_2-bhutan.pdf,

accessed January 2012

Anon (Un-authored) 2009. Impact of the economic crisis on children, Conference Report,

6-7 January 2009, Singapore, supported by National governments of the East Asia-

Pacific region Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Singapore UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific,

http://www.unicef.org/eapro/Impact_of_the_Economic_Crisis_on_Children_-

_Conference_Report.pdf, accessed January 2012

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