€42 million of EU funding to help saving lives of mothers in Liberia
The European Commission announced a new €42 million programme which will contribute to halving maternal mortality rate to 375 per 100,000 live births from the current level of 770 per 100,000 (one of the highest in the world) in Liberia. This EU funding is part of the EU's €1 billion MDG initiative to foster global progress on the Millennium Development Goals before 2015.
A new programme will be put in place with the aim to contribute to halving maternal mortality rate in Liberia. In particular, €42 million from the EU funds will be used for rehabilitating health centres, providing medical equipment, training health staff and many other activities aimed at improving health services in the country.
The EU funding is part of the EU's €1 billion MDG initiative to foster global progress on the Millennium Development Goals before 2015. Under the 10th European Development Fund, Liberia receives €182 million over the period 2008-2013. The main focus of this support is on the rehabilitation of basic infrastructure and social services (education, health), institutional support to improve governance and stability, and a budget support programme to help stabilise the economy.
The EU and Liberia signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) under the FLEGT (Forest Law Enforcement Governance Trade) initiative in 2011. The aim of the VPA is to eliminate illegal timber exports from Liberia to the EU and strengthen Liberia's efforts to improve governance in the forestry sector. The EU supports the implementation of the VPA in Liberia with a €17 million programme.