Following is the text of the USAID press release:

U.S. Reaffirms Commitment to Value Every Child and Support International Partnerships for Child Health

Monday, March 18, 2002

Stockholm, Sweden: Speaking on behalf of President Bush at last week's Global Consultation on Child and Adolescent Health and Development, Dr. E. Anne Peterson, Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Bureau for Global Health, reaffirmed the United States Government's commitment to value every child, to make safe and stable families a priority, and to support international partnerships for child health.

Director-General of The World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Carol Bellamy, convened the Global Consultation, hosted by Swedish authorities in Stockholm, March 12-13, 2002. Approximately 150 government leaders, health experts, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and children's advocates gathered to address the challenge of almost 11 million infants and children and more than 1 million adolescents worldwide who die every year. The knowledge and technology exist to save children and adolescents. The group worked to develop strategies and WHO's next agenda for children and adolescent health and development. The UN Special Session on Children, scheduled for May 2002 in New York City, will define global strategies and provide the opportunity for countries to commit to these strategies.

The United States is a major supporter of child health and development programs and of UNICEF and WHO. The official US presentation at the opening plenary session, "Partners in Action to Improve Child and Adolescent Health," reaffirmed the Administration's continuing commitment to improving the health and well-being of the world's children and youth. Dr. Peterson acknowledged that no country or organization can meet these challenges alone and partnerships among governments, multilateral organizations, NGOs, the private sector, foundations, and civil society are essential. She cited the partnerships to eradicate polio and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). Recognizing partners' different strengths, Dr. Petersen called for finding the common ground where all are committed to making a difference for children and youth, and for synergy in working together on shared goals.

Dr. Peterson asked partners to focus resources on the most important problems and to use the most cost-effective program approaches available, taking lessons from research, the private sector, NGOs, and communities. HIV/AIDS, Dr. Peterson noted, takes an enormous, growing toll on children and families, yet we must continue to meet the health and nutrition challenges of all children. In 2001 for child health, the United States contributed $140 million to UNICEF, in addition to spending over $300 million through USAID, $45 million of which went to WHO, and over two billion dollars in food aid, much of which reached children in conflict and emergency situations. U.S. foundations and private charities such as CARE, Save the Children, and Catholic Relief Services contribute more than a billion dollars annually to children around the world.