<<Two of the goals are related to breastfeeding...the ones addressing
maternal mortality and infant mortality.>>

I believe that keeping the focus on breastfeeding will help with at least
SIX of the Millennium Development Goals - #1 (poverty alleviation), #3
(gender issues/empowerment), #4 (reduce child mortality), #5 (improve
maternal health), #6 (combat HIV, malaria and *other diseases*) and #7
(sustainability/environmental protection).

There was a Countdown to 2015 meeting in Cape Town in April, to coincide
with a meeting of international parliamentarians across the way.   Disgusted
at the reports that South Africa is one of the 12 countries that is worse
off since the goals were set, I tried to get an invitation as an individual
working in the field - no luck.  Eventually my contacts in several
organisations set to work and at the 11th hour a colleague and I had
reluctant invitations.

All we needed was a seat somewhere, unlike accommodation and transport as
some delegates got, but we also had a very nice lunch each day and reams of
papers, charts.  Would that the dying mothers and babies got half as much.

It was eye-opening.  Breastfeeding was a glaring hole in the proceedings,
despite being a major component of maternal and child health, let alone
poverty alleviation, empowerment and environmental sustainability.  While
there were lovely posters all round the walls, not one included
breastfeeding (even in the mother baby pairs pictured).   Our written
submission to include breastfeeding in the proceedings' final document was
ignored.

Apparently, "We are not doing breastfeeding this year."  Even the
recognition of the impact of HIV on the goals was belatedly added.

I was struck by the number of well-fed, well-dressed, well-travelled men who
got up to beg for aid for their countries to achieve these goals, without
any realisation of how they themselves are keeping the money from trickling
down to women and children.  These governmental representatives have no idea
that attainment of the Millennium Development goals includes their own
efforts - beautifully pointed out by the Tanzanian representative Catherine
Sango.

A highlight of the meeting was the wonderful support from The Lancet, and
the brilliant speech by Richard Horton, the Editor-in-Chief.  Can he be
targetted for further publicity during this campaign? There are also
excellent programmes around the world, but one senses so much fragmentation,
and "only if budgets allow, after defence, pomp and ceremony."

Jacquie Nutt
Whose municipality had ZERO capital budget for health last time she looked.

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