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.

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.

Child and adolescent health and development in a European perspective--a new WHO strategy--secondary publication.

In general, children and adolescents in the WHO European Region today have better nutrition, health and development than ever before. There are striking inequalities in health status across the 52 countries in the Region, however, with over ten-fold differences in infant and child mortality rates. Inequalities are also growing within countries, and several health threats are emerging.

Improving family and community health in eastern Europe--the lifecycle approach at WHO.

There are great differences in the health status of young children in the European Region. Central Asia and the Caucasus are the worst-off areas. After reviewing under-five mortality in the eight countries of this part of Eastern Europe, a new WHO strategy to improve child survival is presented.

[Child and adolescent health in a European perspective--a new WHO-strategy].

In general, children and adolescents in the WHO European Region have better nutrition, health and development today than ever before. However, there are striking inequalities in health status across the 52 countries in the Region with over ten-fold differences in infant and child mortality rates. Inequalities are also growing within countries, and several health threats are emerging.

Quality of hospital care for children in Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, and Russia: systematic observational assessment.

Background: Major concerns about the quality of basic hospital care for children have been raised in developing countries, but no formal assessment applying international standards has been done in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Methods: We assessed 17 hospitals in Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova, and the Russian Federation with a generic WHO hospital assessment framework adapted for use in the WHO European region. WHO management guidelines for paediatric care in peripheral hospitals were used as standards.

Overuse of institutional care for children in Europe.

Children in institutional care are at risk of attachment disorder and developmental delay, but Europe still relies heavily on this form of care for children in adversity

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection: Ukraine experience to date.

Background: Despite the availability of effective interventions for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), questions remain regarding implementation of programmes in settings with limited resources. This article sets out to describe the first 2 years of the implementation of the national PMTCT programme in Ukraine.

Methods: National data sources and data from a cohort of pregnant HIV-infected women delivering in 13 centres in Ukraine since 2000 were analysed.

Elimination of HIV infection in infants in Europe--challenges and demand for response.

Effective interventions for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection now exist and where these are fully implemented, MTCT rates of 1-2% are achievable. Virtual elimination of HIV in infants by 2010 has therefore been set as a goal for European region. There are, however, many challenges.