New York Times Blog: September 22, 2010

U.N. Chief Set to Announce Sharp Rise in Aid for Health of Women and Children" by Neil MacFARQUHAR attracted me because of the picture that went along with it. The picture showed four women all with the same expression on their face laying down next to each other with these little babies strapped to their chest. After Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced his plans to increase aid and improve the health of women in children independent specialists were still iffy on whether or not it is a scam. This effort, originally from 2000 is particularly lagging in the area of mother/child death rate during childbirth. Now this new aid is supposed to be directed right at this area to improve it. Since this development, infant mortality rate has dropped from 12 million in 1990 to 8.1 million, maternal mortality has since dropped from 500,000 to 350,000. U.N. officials hoped that the bulk of this plans efforts and money would go to the poorest 49 countries but alone those countries would need about $88 billion to meet the goals.