This year's G8 summit ended with the announcement of of the Muskoka initiative on maternal and child health. US$ 5 billion dollars have been promised over the next five years, (with another US $2.3 billion committed from other donors and foundations). The rhetoric may be fine but the figures are less than half what was hoped for.

Furthermore, with money for aid flat-lining, there is no clear picture whether the initiative will be funded by new money or will be just another case of creatively moving existing funds around.

ActionAid’s Africa spokesperson Henry Malumo said:

“Yet again the G8 are making pledges good enough for a photo call but insufficient to meet the needs of the millions of people living in poverty worldwide. 

“Until the G8 deliver on their past promises, it is hard to believe in new ones. They have yet to tell us how much of the $20 billion promised to poor farmers at last year’s summit has actually been spent.

“Malnourished children are twelve times more likely to die from preventable diseases. And hunger is the underlying cause of one in five maternal deaths every year.  If the G8 want to prove they are serious about preventing the deaths of children and pregnant women, it’s time for them to deliver on previous promises.”

• More on the G8 2010
• ActionAid’s report on how some G8 countries have been frittering desperately needed cash for agriculture can be found here: ‘The $20 billion question: has the G8 delivered on its hunger promises’