Beyond Bellagio: addressing the challenge of sustainable child health in developing countries

Despite the hype and ostensible investments in child survival strategies, the state of child health in much of the developing world is alarming. Not only are global investments and support programmes for child health by the development agencies declining, but commensurate support for maternal and child health by poor countries themselves is poor. In order to make a meaningful contribution to maternal and child health and survival, a multi-pronged approach is needed which not only focuses on the proximal determinants of child health but also some of the underlying factors governing the status of women in society and expenditures on health and development.