Making the Countdown count

Abstract

The 2008 Countdown report comes at a particularly important time-the midpoint for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015. This issue of The Lancet focuses on the 2008 results of the Countdown to 2015 for Maternal Newborn and Child Survival initiative and coincides with the Countdown meeting in Cape Town South Africa held jointly with the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Countdown a collaboration of individuals and institutions aims to stimulate country action by tracking coverage for interventions that are essential for the attainment of MDGs 4 and 5 as well as elements of the other health-related MDGs. In 2006 we reported on coverage of child survival interventions for 60 countries in the first international Countdown conference held in London in December 2005. The Countdown 2008 report tracks progress in 68 countries that account for more than 97% of maternal and child deaths and includes indicators across the continuum of care for reproductive maternal newborn and child health. The coverage results are complemented by tracking of relevant policies health system performance measures equity patterns in coverage and financial flows to maternal newborn and child health and nutrition. (excerpt)