Russia to Spend $11Mln on Maternal, Child Health Seminars

MOSCOW, June 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will spend up to 366 million rubles ($11.1 million) in 2013-2015 to hold training workshops to implement an international initiative on maternal and child health, the Russian government reported Saturday.

The seminars will be held as part of the Canada-proposed Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, which was approved by all G8 leaders at a summit in Canada in 2010.

The Muskoka Initiative addresses gaps in maternal, newborn, and child health in developing countries. It is expected to help developing countries to prevent the deaths of 1.3 million children under five years of age and prevent the deaths of 64,000 mothers over the next five years.