Many of the UN’s eight Millennium Development Goals are about health and education. By 2015, all children are to be allowed the chance to go to school. Child and infant mortality is to be reduced. HIV/Aids will be tackled. And more people will have access to clean water and sanitation.
Global health has improved in recent decades. Child mortality is falling and the average life expectancy is rising. However, there have been no improvements regarding maternal mortality in the last 20 years. Poor countries must prioritize health and medical care to a greater extent and wealthy countries must allocate greater resources to these areas.
Sida provides support to national health systems, which makes medical care available to those living in poverty in these countries.
One area that is receiving particular attention is HIV/Aids. Demands for greater equality between the sexes and an open discussion about contraception and sex education is central in fighting the epidemic.
Another of Sida’s main issues is sexual and reproductive health and rights. This includes ensuring that people have access to knowledge and advice on sexuality and sexual rights, and having access to sexual and reproductive health and medical care.
Sida places particular focus on giving women in its partner countries access to better and safer maternity welfare.
Education and democracy go hand-in-hand
Access to good health care is not the only thing that affects people’s health. It is also important to work with public health and preventative measures, such as improving access to clean water and knowledge about hygiene and sanitation. Every day, about 4,000 children die of illnesses caused by a lack of clean water. About 2.6 billion people lack access to sanitation.
A rise in education levels can also lead to better health. Many millions of people still lack access to education. Greater resources must be set aside for education to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of having all children attending school by 2015.
Basic education, especially for women and children, is a key to economic growth and political and social development. Those who do not receive an education have limited opportunities to influence their lives and participate in various activities in society.
Experience shows that when women have more knowledge and a greater influence in the home and society, more children go to school, fewer are hungry, and the financial situation for families, as well as entire societies, improves.
Sida is supporting the education sector in its partner countries to help meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals and the international goals on education for everyone.
Sida’s support for health and education
In 2008, about SEK 2.8 billion of the bilateral development assistance through Sida was used for contributions to social development. This includes the health and education sectors.
- 42 per cent went to regional and global efforts.
- 28 per cent went to countries where Sweden provides long-term development assistance.
- 11 per cent went to conflict and post-conflict countries.
In addition to the bilateral development assistance through Sida, funds were channelled to promote efforts through the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This is done primarily through support for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS).
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