22 August 2007
Leading donor nations and international agencies are to come together in a major new partnership aimed at improving healthcare in the developing world, the PM has said.
In a joint statement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel following bilateral talks in Downing Street, the PM said that addressing healthcare and aid provision was now a "development emergency". The new partnership, which will launch formally on 5 September, will drive forward work on Millennium Development Goals involving the reduction of child and maternal mortality and the tackling of specific diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
The two leaders said:
"We see this as a critical step in our call for an international mobilisation of effort to achieve the MDGs that will build year on year until 2015. Our efforts must bring together the private sector, NGOs, faith groups, international agencies and governments in a new partnership to reduce poverty, improve health and provide opportunities for the poor across the world."
They added that MDGs focussing on healthcare were the "least likely to be met" by the agreed target date of 2015, and that an "improved approach" was needed. This will entail the strengthening of "weak systems" suffering from a lack of workers and clinics and better coordination of "complex" and "fragmented health provision".
Chancellor Merkel and Gordon Brown highlighted the renewed commitment of the world’s richest nations to meet funding pledges made in 2005.
The two leaders also discussed the global economy, Darfur and a range of European Union issues.
Mr Brown and Mrs Merkel said:
"We reaffirm our commitment made at the G8 and the EU to provide the financing needed to meet our health commitments through the established institutions and mechanisms. In this context, the replenishment of the Global Fund will be a key step. We will also explore innovative financing mechanisms to meet these commitments."
The Millennium Development Goals were established at a UN summit in 2005 and consist of specific pledges on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, improving healthcare, tackling major diseases and providing universal primary education by 2015. The G8 summit at Gleneagles in 2005 focussed on improving aid to Africa and the developing world.
- PM calls for global partnership
- Department for International Development (new window)
- The United Nations (new window)
Watch the press conference
YouTube video of the Prime Minister’s press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel
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