Purpose and Principles

The purpose of the MDG Health Alliance is to work in partnership with UN Agencies, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and others to support country efforts to accelerate progress toward achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 4, 5, and 6). We seek to fulfill the vision articulated in the UN Secretary-General's Every Woman Every Child movement by coordinating private-public partnerships in support of the UN and broader efforts to accomplish the following:

  1. Improve Child Health

    Reduce the number of children under 5 dying from 6.9 million per year to 4 million
    per year by 2015.

    Means

    In collaboration with the UN Foundation, UNICEF, Clinton Health Access Initiative, USAID and other partners, reduce child mortality by two-thirds in countries with the largest concentrations of under 5 deaths by increasing access to the most cost-effective interventions that prevent and treat the leading causes of child mortality – pneumonia, preterm birth, diarrhea, birth asphyxia, newborn infection and malaria – with a particular emphasis on increasing private sector contributions to achieve MDG 4.

  3. Improve Maternal Health

    Reduce the number of women who die from pregnancy and childbirth complications to fewer than 143,500 per year worldwide by 2015.

    Means

    In collaboration with the H5 agencies (UNFPA,UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank), the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, the Maternal Health Pillar will tap into the potential of private health providers and local businesses to support national governments' efforts to reach MDG 5. The Maternal Health Pillar aims to expand access to proven maternal health solutions in countries with a high burden of maternal mortality, beginning with India, Uganda and Nigeria, by helping to develop sustainable models of healthcare delivery to save women's lives.

  5. Near-Zero Malaria Deaths

    Reduce the number of deaths caused by malaria, down from 765,000 in 2010, to near-zero.

    Means

    Achievement of this target will require continued universal coverage of malaria prevention in Africa (annual net replacement rate of about 150 million nets/year), as well as aggressive deployment of diagnostics and treatment integrated community case management in the public and private sectors.

  7. Near-Zero Transmission of HIV/AIDS

    Eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS

    Means

    In collaboration with UNAIDS, PEPFAR, the countries suffering the greatest burden and other partners, virtually eliminate the transmission of HIV from mother-to-child by 2015 worldwide. The Business Leadership Council for a Generation Born HIV Free (the BLC) consisting of globally recognized private sector leaders has been formed to bring to bear the collective resources and acumen of the private sector to achieve the 2015 deadline. The BLC will identify concrete, actionable roles for businesses to maximize their impact on vertical transmission rates in high-burden countries. The focus will be on identifying the points of entry, or "big levers" for change, where businesses or the BLC as a consortium can have the biggest impact in making the systems more efficient and more effective, better monitored and more responsive, scaled and expanded, or otherwise, leveraging the particular business or industry sector's expertise, network or resources.

  9. Save 1 Million Lives from HIV/TB Co-Infection

    Reduce by 2015 the trajectory of the number of HIV+ patients who will die of TB, currently estimated at 1.3 million people.

    Means

    In collaboration with Stop TB and other partners, increase the TB cure rate by providing screening programs to test for infections every three years, provide treatment to TB-positive individuals, provide preventive TB treatment to all women living with HIV at risk of TB exposure, examine all pregnant women for signs and symptoms of TB, assess whole-family risk, and develop new child-friendly diagnostics.

  11. One Million Community Health Workers

    Recruit, train and equip 1 million community health workers to advance maternal and child health by the end of 2015.

    Means

    Contribute to efforts to dramatically reduce maternal and child deaths by strengthening, training, and equipping one million community health workers by 2015. Our aim is that all CHWs possess a "backpack+" – a combination of essential commodities for child and maternal health, and other elements of CHW effectiveness, such as access to a supervisor, regular trainings, a salary paid in full and on-time, among critical and low-cost interventions.

  13. Improve Reproductive Health

    Achieve universal access to reproductive health by the end of 2015.

    Means

    In collaboration with UNFPA, other UN agencies, and key stakeholders from across the public and private sector, this pillar will build partnerships to leverage innovative mechanisms and strategic advocacy and also support ongoing efforts to promote voluntary family planning and access to reproductive health in developing countries. These partnerships will help reduce maternal and child mortality by increasing the availability, accessibility, and affordability of reproductive health, family planning and contraceptive information, services and supplies.

Working with the MDG Advocates, UN Agencies and other organizations, the Alliance has created outcome-oriented "Pillars" that intend to accomplish the following:

  1. Convene networks of new and traditional partners

  2. Raise visibility, awareness, and resources

  3. Advocate in favor of increased public sector financing

  4. Assist with logistics and in-kind resources