Decision on Promotion of Maternal, Infant and Child Health and Development Doc. EX.CL/380 (XII)

DECISION ON PROMOTION OF MATERNAL INFANT AND CHILD
HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT - DOC. EX.CL/380 (XII)

The Assembly:

1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the 2^nd Pan-African Forum on Children: Mid-term Review, which was held in Cairo, Egypt from 29 October - 3 November 2007 and the Call for Accelerated Action on the Implementation of the Plan of Action on Towards Africa Fit for Children (2008-2012) which was adopted by the Forum;

2. RECOGNISES with concern that poor maternal, infant and child health remains a major challenges confronting the continent and undermining its development efforts;

3. RECALLS the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly No. 4: Reduce Child Mortality, No. 5: Improve Maternal Health, and No. 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, as vital indicators for monitoring socio-economic development of any country in Africa;

4. ALSO RECALLS, inter alia, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990); Sirte Assembly Decision on Accelerating Action for Child Survival and Development in Africa to meet the MDGs, in particular MDG 4 on reducing child mortality and morbidity (2005); Maputo Plan of Action on the Policy Framework on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (2006); and the Africa Health Strategy (2007);

5. WELCOMES WITH APPRECIATION the world-wide support expressed through the numerous programmes and initiatives to mobilize resources to meet challenges related to the promotion of maternal, infant and child health, survival, protection, development and participation;

6. REAFFIRMS its previous commitments towards promotion of maternal, infant and child health, survival, protection, development and participation;

7. REITERATES ITS COMMITMENT to take responsibility and provide leadership to advance actions towards the implementation of the MDGs, particularly those related to the promotion of maternal, infant and child health, survival and development. In this regard, it will ensure that its statements at national, regional, continental and international levels (including the UN General Assembly) highlight the plight of women, infants and children in Africa, and the required action to rectify this related challenges;

8. URGES Member states, in collaboration with development partners and stakeholders, to effectively implement the commitments made to improve the rights and welfare of women, infants and children in Africa;

9. CALLS UPON development partners at all levels to intensify efforts to provide well-coordinated support, based on the respective needs and policies of affected communities and countries;

10. MANDATES the Chairperson of the African Union to undertake vigorous advocacy to mobilize resources and galvanise political will among the industrialized countries, at any available opportunity, including at such forums as the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit (2008), TICAD IV (2008), EU Summit (2008), to advance maternal, infant and child health and development in Africa;

11. REQUESTS the AU Commission to include the “Promotion of Maternal, Infant and Child Health and Development” on the Agenda of our 11^th Ordinary Session in 2008;

12. FURTHER REQUESTS AU Commission to submit a progress report on the implementation of its commitments on children and progress towards achieving MDGs 4, 5 and 6 to the 12^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly in 2009.