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UN Launches $40 Billion Global Health Campaign

   VOA News 22 September 2010
   UN  Secretary-General  Ban  Ki-moon  speaks during a meeting at United
   Nations headquarters, 22 Sep 2010

Photo: AP

   UN  Secretary-General  Ban  Ki-moon  speaks during a meeting at United
   Nations headquarters, 22 Sep 2010

   United  Nations  Secretary-General  Ban Ki-moon is set to unveil a $40
   billion initiative aimed at improving the health of women and children
   around the world.
   Mr.  Ban  is to announce the effort Wednesday, the final day of a U.N.
   summit  of  world  leaders  to assess the progress of the world body's
   anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals.
   The  United  Nations  said  spending  money on the health of women and
   children helps to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth.
   U.N.  officials  say  governments  and  private aid organizations have
   committed  to  provide  the  $40  billion  for  the  new  push.   The
   international aid organization Oxfam, however, voiced skepticism about
   whether  national governments, who have cut their budgets to cope with
   a global economic crisis, actually will set aside money for the cause.
   Leaders  and  top  diplomats  from  140  countries  are  attending the
   three-day Millennium Development Goals summit in New York.
   U.S. President Barack Obama is due to address the forum Wednesday.
   The  meeting comes ahead of the general debate of world leaders at the
   U.N. General Assembly, beginning Thursday.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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