The U.K. Department for International Development has released steps to implement a recently announced 5 million-pound (USD7.2 million) maternal health program.
As reported by Devex, Prime Minister David Cameron has declared maternal health a top U.K. priority for the upcoming G-8 and G-20 summits in Canada. The program, he said, is an initial step toward boosting maternal health in the developing world.
The fund envisions to back up to 50 partnerships between U.K. institutions and health systems in developing countries. The partnerships would provide direct support and expertise to raise professional standards in poor nations. They will promote the use of technological innovations such as live Internet link-ups and mobile phone use for emergency referrals and operations.
“Britain’s nurses, midwives and medical teams are some of the best in the world and can help to give developing countries the skills needed to improve women’s health,” Andrew Mitchell, U.K. secretary of state for international development, said in a press release.
Also under the initiative, an electronic database will be set up to match requests of help from developing nations against health assistance offers from other countries, including the U.K.
According to DfID, eligible partners are those who work on:
- Teaching and training in the classroom, on the job, or through distance learning.
- Quality of care and clinical management.
- Laboratory and diagnostic services.
- Essential medicines and health supplies.
- Professional standard-setting, quality assurance and accountability.
- Integrating innovation into the clinical setting.
- Making links with other health-related partners such as water, nutrition, sanitation to improve overall health care.
