The Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean of the World Health Organization (WHO) held the third intercountry workshop on the IMCI (Integrated Management of Child Health) community component in Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 24 to 27 July 2005. The objectives of the workshop were to review the status of implementation of the IMCI community component in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and to review and update the plan of action for the IMCI community component in 10 countries of the Region.
Child health is being re-stated as a global priority. Goal 4 of the MDGs specifically relates to reduction of under-five mortality, while some of the other Goals also relate directly or indirectly to child health. A special report of the United Nations Millennium Project Task Force on Child Health and Maternal Health, Who’s got the power? Transforming health systems for women and children (2005), recommends rapid and equitable scale-up of the IMCI strategy to
achieve the Goal 4. Recent World Health Assembly resolutions have addressed child health issues (e.g. child health strategy, infant and young child nutrition, strategic directions for achieving the MDGs, working towards universal coverage of maternal, newborn and child health interventions). Maternal and child health was the subject of The World Health Report 2005 and World Health Day 2005.