Health, morbidity and mortality

The Programme of Action emphasized that the accessibility, availability, acceptability and affordability of health-care services and facilities should be increased so as to provide access to basic health care for all. In particular, the Cairo Declaration called on Governments to promote child survival and health, to promote women’s health and safe motherhood, to achieve a rapid and substantial reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality, and to reduce disparities in health and survival observed between developing and developed countries and within countries. It also called for prevention and reduction of the spread of HIV in order to minimize its impact, increased awareness of the consequences of HIV infection and AIDS, and addressing the social, economic, gender and racial inequities that increase vulnerability to the disease. Importantly, compared to previous population conferences, the Programme of Action introduced two new concepts: safe motherhood and unsafe abortion, in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) definitions.

Related Subject(s): Population and Demography