India played major role in reducing global poverty: President

Noting that India played a major role in reducing global poverty, President Pratibha Patil today said economic recovery was important for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The fact that India was a "major contributor" to poverty reduction has been acknowledged in the UN Secretary General's report on MDGs, she said.

Patil was addressing the International Conclave on 2010 Partners' Forum: Innovation and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health here.
    
To ensure that the global economic recovery was durable, balanced and sustainable, she said stress should be laid on poverty alleviation and maternal health.
    
"So far as India is concerned, our economy has shown resilience and is expected to grow by over 8 per cent this year and then further accelerate," she said.
    
The President said India recognised its burden of maternal, newborn and child mortality as one of the highest in the world.
    
"The curative aspect of health care is very important, but along with it, a broad approach that looks at the entire range of health care from preventive to rehabilitation should be adopted, which can result in a higher dividend in terms of healthy individuals," she added.
    
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said for ensuring a rapid reduction in maternal and child mortality, the government has identified 250 backward and inaccessible districts accounting for one-third of the population.
    
Appreciating India's introduction of bivalent polio vaccine in India, WHO Director General Margaret Chan said WHO is finalising strategy for accountability in areas like resource mobilisation.
    
United Nations Chief Ban-Ki Moon has cautioned against using piecemeal approaches to address issues of maternal and child care saying this will only lead to partial remedies and solutions.
    
The conference has been organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, an alliance of governments, UN agencies, professional bodies, NGOs and civil society, which was launched here five years ago to support global health efforts.