Estimates developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division, as well as the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, indicate that almost 95% of maternal and child deaths take place in 9 countries.
Responding to this situation, a regional initiative on Saving the Lives of Mothers and Children was launched by WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF, jointly with countries, at a high-level meeting held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in January 2013.
The meeting concluded with the Dubai Declaration: Saving the lives of mothers and children: rising to the challenge. The Declaration was endorsed by the 60th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in October 2013 in resolution EM/RC60/R.6.
From 2013 to 2015, WHO has been supporting the implementation of the regional initiative in countries with a high burden of maternal and child mortality, in close partnership with UNFPA and UNICEF, and will continue to support national efforts to address reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health in the post-2015 health agenda.
