Global Action for Children Announces Half Million Dollar Grant From the Bill & Melinda Gates ...( Grant to support Global ...),Health

Grant to support Global Action for Children's work with African partners to ensure African governments meet commitments of 15 percent of national budget for health

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Global Action for Children (GAC) today announced that it has received a $500,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to partner with African civil society and global allies to encourage African nations to allocate 15 percent of their national budgets to health.

In 2001, at the African Union summit in Abuja, Nigeria, member states pledged to commit 15 percent of national budgets to health, and while progress has been made, the pledge is yet to be fully realized.

Sustainable health financing from governments in Africa is critical for implementing national health policies that improve health care infrastructure and combat HIV/AIDS, TB, child mortality, malaria, and other disease burdens that impede economic growth and cause millions to die and suffer needlessly.

In this new effort, advocates from Africa, Europe, and North America will build on and work together through transnational advocacy networks to hold African governments accountable to invest more in health care.

"Global Action for Children is grateful for the funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which enables us to work with our African and global advocacy partners toward realizing critical developments in health financing that will improve health infrastructure and critical health services in African nations," said Global Action for Children Executive Director Jennifer Delaney.

About Global Action for Children

Global Action for Children is a nonpartisan, results-oriented coalition dedicated to advocating for orphans and highly vulnerable children in the developing world. GAC works to increase funding and ensure i
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