UN Day in Brooklyn Draws Dozens to Hear Global-Health Experts on State of Millennium Development Goals

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For UN Day this year, the United Nation’s Association’s Brooklyn Chapter brought together a high-level expert panel to discuss global health and the UN Millennium Development Goals. About 60 UNA members and guests gathered for the October 24 event  to hear presentations on MDG successes and identification of-unmet targets for improving the health and survival of women and children, and for curbing HIV/AIDS. Moderated by Chapter President Gabriel Levitt, the panel included Ian Pett, chief of health systems and strategic planning in the health section of UNICEF headquarters, Peter Navario, strategy and policy advisor for UNAIDS, and Adam Deixel, director of communications for Family Care International.

The panelists agreed that there have been important world health improvements since the MDGs were established in 2000 with a 2015 deadline. For instance, infant mortality declined from 11 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011; also as of 2011, AIDS-related deaths had declined by 24% from their peak in 2004.  But bigger advances, particularly for women’s health and reproductive rights, remain critical to the MDG’s aim of reducing extreme poverty worldwide.

Brooklyn’s UN Day gathering, with a networking reception, was co-sponsored and hosted by the United Nations Graduate Certificate and the Honors programs of Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus.

The UNA-Brooklyn panel drew news media as well as a big audience.

For all health and poverty concerns, a woman’s survival has far-reaching importance, including for health and survival of her family.

(l-r) UNA Brooklyn Chapter’s Gabriel Levitt moderated the UN Day panel with Peter Navario of UNAIDS, UNICEF’s Ian Pett, and Adam Deixel of Family Care.International.