Leaders urged to act on infant mortality rate

And with only seven years to 2015, which was set by the United Nations as the time the MDGs are supposed to have been met, attention now seems to shift to the lawmakers.

Blames lawmakers

The document says MPs should play a key role in coming up with the necessary legal and regulatory framework to accelerate the attainment of the goals.

According to the report, what has contributed to the deteriorating trend is a serious lack of awareness on the magnitude and impact of deaths of mothers and children.

It blames lawmakers for not prioritising maternal and child issues in the national budget. The report wants the MPs to ensure an adequate budget allocation for maternal and child health programmes.

It also requires them to address social determinants of health - water, sanitation, gender and poverty.

It also recommends that disparities and inequities in service delivery across the country, including the deployment of staff and incentive offers, be addressed.