How can health ministries present persuasive investment plans for women's, children's and adolescents' health?

Most low- and middle-income countries face financing pressures if they are to adequately address the recommendations of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescent's Health. Negotiations between government ministries of health and finance are a key determinant of the level and effectiveness of public expenditure in the health sector. Yet ministries of health in low- and middle-income countries do not always have a good record in obtaining additional resources from key decision-making institutions.

Success factors for reducing maternal and child mortality.

Reducing maternal and child mortality is a priority in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and will likely remain so after 2015. Evidence exists on the investments, interventions and enabling policies required. Less is understood about why some countries achieve faster progress than other comparable countries.

Advancing social and economic development by investing in women's and children's health: a new Global Investment Framework.

A new Global Investment Framework for Women's and Children's Health demonstrates how investment in women's and children's health will secure high health, social, and economic returns. We costed health systems strengthening and six investment packages for: maternal and newborn health, child health, immunisation, family planning, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Nutrition is a cross-cutting theme.

Inequalities in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health in Vietnam: a retrospective study of survey data for 1997-2006.

Background: Vietnam has achieved considerable success in economic development, poverty reduction, and health over a relatively short period of time. However, there is concern that inequalities in health outcomes and intervention coverage are widening. This study explores if inequalities in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition changed over time in Vietnam in 1997-2006, and if inequalities were different depending on the type of stratifying variable used to measure inequalities and on the type of outcome studied.

How changes in coverage affect equity in maternal and child health interventions in 35 Countdown to 2015 countries: an analysis of national surveys.

Background: Achievement of global health goals will require assessment of progress not only nationally but also for population subgroups. We aimed to assess how the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in health changes in relation to different rates of national progress in coverage of interventions for the health of mothers and children.

Methods: We assessed coverage in low-income and middle-income countries for which two Demographic Health Surveys or Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys were available.

Equity in maternal, newborn, and child health interventions in Countdown to 2015: a retrospective review of survey data from 54 countries.

Background: Countdown to 2015 tracks progress towards achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5, with particular emphasis on within-country inequalities. We assessed how inequalities in maternal, newborn, and child health interventions vary by intervention and country.

Methods: We reanalysed data for 12 maternal, newborn, and child health interventions from national surveys done in 54 Countdown countries between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2008.

The other crisis: the economics and financing of maternal, newborn and child health in Asia.

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008/2009 was the largest economic slowdown since the Great Depression. It undermined the growth and development prospects of developing countries. Several recent studies estimate the impact of economic shocks on the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children.

Sub-Saharan Africa's mothers, newborns, and children: where and why do they die?

In the first article in a series on maternal, newborn, and child health in sub-Saharan Africa, Joy Lawn and colleagues outline where and why deaths among mothers and children occur and what known interventions can be employed to prevent these deaths.

Sub-Saharan Africa's mothers, newborns, and children: how many lives could be saved with targeted health interventions?

As part of the series on maternal, neonatal, and child health in sub-Saharan Africa, Robert Black and colleagues estimated mortality reduction for 42 countries and conclude that the use of local data is needed to prioritize the most effective mix of interventions.

Countdown to 2015 decade report (2000-10): taking stock of maternal, newborn, and child survival.

The Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Survival monitors coverage of priority interventions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for child mortality and maternal health. We reviewed progress between 1990 and 2010 in coverage of 26 key interventions in 68 Countdown priority countries accounting for more than 90% of maternal and child deaths worldwide. 19 countries studied were on track to meet MDG 4, in 47 we noted acceleration in the yearly rate of reduction in mortality of children younger than 5 years, and in 12 countries progress had decelerated since 2000.

Health financing for the poor produces promising short-term effects on utilization and out-of-pocket expenditure: evidence from Vietnam.

Background: Vietnam introduced the Health Care Fund for the Poor in 2002 to increase access to health care and reduce the financial burden of health expenditure faced by the poor and ethnic minorities. It is often argued that effects of financing reforms take a long time to materialize. This study evaluates the short-term impact of the program to determine if pro-poor financing programs can achieve immediate effects on health care utilization and out-of-pocket expenditure.

Health insurance reform in Vietnam: a review of recent developments and future challenges.

Vietnam is undertaking health financing reform with a view to achieve universal coverage of health insurance within the coming years. To date, around half of the population is covered with some type of health insurance or prepayment. This review applies a conceptual framework of health financing to provide a coherent assessment of the reforms to date with respect to a set of key policy objectives of health financing, including financial sustainability, efficiency in service provision, and equity in health financing.

Mind the gap: equity and trends in coverage of maternal, newborn, and child health services in 54 Countdown countries.

Background: Increasing the coverage of key maternal, newborn, and child health interventions is essential if Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 4 and 5 are to be reached. We have assessed equity and trends in coverage rates of a key set of interventions through a summary index, to provide overall insight into past performance and progress perspectives.

Methods: Data from household surveys from 54 countries in the Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival initiative during 1990-2006 were used to compute an aggregate coverage index based on four intervention areas: family planning, maternal and newborn care, immunisation, and treatment of sick children.