title: A strategy for reducing maternal and newborn deaths by 2015 and beyond.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Achievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 for child survival requires acceleration of gains in newborn survival, and current trends in improving maternal health will also fall short of reaching MDG 5 without more strategic actions. We present a Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) strategy for accelerating progress on MDGs 4 and 5, sustaining the gains beyond 2015, and further bringing down maternal and child mortality by two thirds by 2030.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strategy takes into account current trends in coverage and cause-specific mortality, builds on lessons learned about what works in large-scale implementation programs, and charts a course to reach those who do not yet access services. A central hypothesis of this strategy is that enhancing interactions between frontline workers and mothers and families is critical for increasing the effective coverage of life-saving interventions. We describe a framework for measuring and evaluating progress which enables continuous course correction and improvement in program performance and impact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence for the hypothesis and impact of this strategy is being gathered and will be synthesized and disseminated in order to advance global learning and to maximise the potential to improve maternal and neonatal survival.
authors.affiliation: Global Development Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PO Box 23350, Seattle, WA 98102, USA. gary.darmstadt@gatesfoundation.org.
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Darmstadt
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marchant
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claeson
authors.forename: Win
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Saul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donnay
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Shirine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voller
authors.forename: Katherine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Teela
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makowiecka
authors.forename: Zelee
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mangham-Jefferies
authors.forename: Bilal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Avan
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Spicer
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Engmann
authors.forename: Nana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Twum-Danso
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Somers
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kraushaar
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schellenberg
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006040:Goals; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D015397:Program Evaluation