'Unfinished business' for maternal health

Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) has "unfinished business" in terms of dealing with maternal health in the country.

That is the view of Unicef, which has been working with the nation to achieve wide-ranging child development goals.

The organisation noted that the needs of children should be a key priority in Lao PDR.

Unicef has been reviewing its efforts in the country, with a meeting being held with Somsavath Lengsavad, the standing deputy prime minister.

The conference underlined the need to focus upon sanitation, water and HIV prevention as well as maternal health issues.

Anupama Rao Singh, Unicef regional director for East Asia and the Pacific, said: "In terms of maternal and neonatal health, we have important unfinished business.

"Too many mothers die in child-birth and too many young children do not thrive - or even survive - as they should."

A programme of cooperation between Lao PDR and Unicef is scheduled to run until 2011.

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