Effort to boost health of women, children

The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries will establish a partnership network with the United Nations — Every Woman Every Child — to advance the health of women and children in China, Li Xiaolin, the association's president, announced.

"Please join us in the network immediately to improve women's and children's health. Let's be a doer, not a talker. Take action today," she said on Thursday at an association event during the UN General Assembly in New York.

Under the new partnership, the association will support the Every Woman Every Child movement in different ways, Li said.

"We will urge our government to step up action in protecting women's and children's health. We will urge our enterprises to fulfill their social responsibilities by not only focusing on the profit but also contributing to the improvement of women's and children's health," Li said.

"We will also urge other NGOs in China to join hands in educating the general public and making a better tomorrow for Earth, our one and only home."

China has made impressive progress in reducing maternal and child mortality in in the past 30 years. It has also taken part in cooperative ventures to promote women's and children's health and has provided health assistance to other developing countries, she said.

Launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in September 2010, Every Woman Every Child aims to save the lives of 16 million by 2015. It is an unprecedented global effort that mobilizes and intensifies international and national action by governments, multilaterals, the private sector and civil society to address the major health challenges facing women and children around the world, according to information provided by the association.

Founded in 1954, the association celebrated its 60th birthday in May. Its goal is to promote mutual understanding and cooperation around the world.