By DPA,
Toronto : Two aid groups organised protests Thursday dressed as “pregnant” world leaders to call on the Group of Eight (G8) leading economies to take action against poverty and child and maternal mortality.
Eight World Vision demonstrators gathered in front of St James Cathedral wearing masks of politicians and black costumes with “pregnant” white bellies. The words “pregnant with promises” were emblazoned across their stomachs.
World Vision’s Marwin Meier called for leaders not to offer empty promises, but to commit funds to improving child health and reducing maternal deaths.
Elsewhere, a group from Oxfam wearing “naked pregnancy suits”, Canadian maple leaves in strategic places and masks of world leaders demanded that the politicians face the “naked truth” and deliver $20 billion needed to reach the $50-billion promised five years ago for the world’s poor. They pointed to the 1,000 children under age five who die every hour from preventable diseases.
G8 host Canada has included an initiative to fight childhood and maternal deaths on the meeting’s agenda.
An initiative as part of the UN’s Millenium Development Goals to reduce child deaths by two-thirds by 2015 and maternal deaths by three-fourths has fallen behind. To meet the goal, some 24 billion dollars are needed, the UN and aid groups say.