Norway pledge grant to cut child mortality

Norway has promised $1 billion over the next three years to help reduce global child mortality to two-thirds by 2015.

The announcement was made yesterday (September 26th) at the Clinton Global Initiative conference held in New York to address serious global issues.

The donation has been made in an effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals four and five, which also aim to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters by 2015.

"It fills a critical gap in the health care agenda," said World Bank president Robert Zoellick.

"Some aid is short-term and unpredictable, and basic needs have suffered."

"It's very important to get added resources," commented UNICEF executive director Ann M Veneman.

"It's also important to recognise that the right policies are needed to access people in the poorest areas. With strong leadership locally and shared efforts globally - with a collective sense of urgency - we can create a better world for mothers, boys and girls, and generations to come."

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