IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 404

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding increasing the United States

commitment to the health of the world’s mothers and children.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 14, 2002

Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself and Mrs. MORELLA) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International

Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding increasing the

United States commitment to the health of the world’s

mothers and children.

Whereas 10 years ago at the World Summit for Children, the

United States joined with 159 other governments to commit the world to supporting efforts that reduce infant

and maternal mortality, child malnutrition, and illiteracy;

Whereas nearly 11,000,000 children die before the age of 5—

30,500 children every day—due to preventable infectious

diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, malaria, and malnutrition;

Whereas more than a quarter of the world’s children are malnourished, which hinders their ability to learn and thrive;
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Whereas over 500,000 women who die every year during

pregnancy and childbirth could be saved by low-tech, lowcost interventions;

Whereas research has found that the health of children and

their mothers is closely intertwined and good maternal

health is essential for the survival of both mothers and

children;

Whereas studies have shown that high maternal and child

mortality are directly correlated with social and political

instability;

Whereas the number of women of reproductive age in less developed countries will grow by 34 percent in the next 20

years, making the need to improve health care services

for women and their children even more important;

Whereas past evidence has shown that programs to improve

child survival do work, and that in the past decade, child

survival programs of the United States Agency for International Development have significantly contributed to a

10-percent reduction in infant mortality rates worldwide;

Whereas research has shown that although the majority of

maternal deaths during pregnancy and childbirth could

be easily prevented, the number of women who die as

mothers has not decreased in 10 years due to inadequate

resources to address the problem;

Whereas although the world has been able to reduce maternal

mortality in the developed world, the disparity in such

mortality between the developed and developing countries

continues to grow;

Whereas according to the World Health Organization, the

lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related complica-
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tions or during childbirth in developing countries is 1 in

48 and in developed countries it is 1 in 1,800;

Whereas in some sub-Saharan African countries, the risk

jumps still further: 1 in every 14 girls entering adolescence will die from maternal causes before completing her

childbearing years; and

Whereas according to the World Health Organization report,

between $27,000,000,000 and $38,000,000,000 will be

needed in 2007 and 2015, respectively, to provide the

necessary health interventions to those living in low-income countries: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—

3 (1) child survival and maternal health programs

4 supported by the United States, particularly through

5 the Agency for International Development, have and

6 will make a difference in the lives of mothers and

7 children in the developing world;

8 (2) an increased commitment to improving the

9 health of the world’s mothers and children will have

10 a long-term impact on the political, economic, and

11 social stability of developing countries;

12 (3) the United States should take a lead in im13 proving the lives of millions of mothers and children

14 in the developing world through targeted, effective,

15 and multifaceted health and development programs;

16 and
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1 (4) the United States should increase its com2 mitment to the world’s mothers and children by in3 creasing funding for basic child survival and mater4 nal health programs by at least $500,000,000.

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