Poor nations meet health cash pledges

UNITED NATIONS - Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal and some of the world's other poorest countries helped lead the way over the past year as UN member states began meeting their unprecedented pledge of more than $40 billion for maternal and child health, a new study of the spending says.

The spending report was released on Tuesday at a high-level event chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has made raising money for the health of mothers and their children a pet project.

"By and large, the commitments made have been met," said Dr Julio Frenk, chairman of the fundraising effort and dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.