Tomaro – focusing on mothers and children

The major goal of the Aga Khan Foundation’s health program is to improve the health status and well-being of mothers and children. And the reason behind that is because mothers of children, particularly young children–those who are under five–suffer a very high burden of vulnerability with respects to the developmental challenges, okay. So, if you’re able to reach these two groups in an effective manner, you really have a sense that what you’re doing in other spheres is really making a difference. Because if you can see changes in the conditions and well-being of the mother and children, you should be able to see some changes in the conditions of the others in the, in the community. 

If you’re dealing with adult health, or if you’re dealing with the health of adolescents except for young women who are in the fertile age group, it takes a much longer period of time before you’re able to see any changes. So by focusing on women of the reproductive age and young children, and by ensuring that they have access to the care, to the information, to the assistance that they need, you can make a substantial difference.  

This has been the major focus of work in health over the years. I’ve been here almost 15 years and during that period of time that goal has remained constant. And the goal has remained constant because the problem, or the challenge—let’s put it in those terms—the challenge has remained constant. 

Most of the major donors, and most of the G20 countries have just done an assessment of the Millennium Development Goals. And the two goals that have to some extent changed the least, and where these countries are now investing substantially, is in goals four and five. And those are, with respect to infant and child mortality, and to maternal mortality. So the fact that these are so far behind in relation to achieving the MDGs has really begun to motivate the countries to make these investments. And in that respect, ECD, in many ways, crosses the two groups. Crosses between mothers and children and also reaches into the education goal as well.