Bangalore: Information technology services major Infosys has made a commitment to work with the MDG Health Alliance, the United Nations Foundation, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative as an innovation partner for the India Public-Private Partnership to End Child Diarrheal Deaths, in support of the UN Secretary-General's Every Woman Every Child movement. Infosys Labs, the research and innovation arm of Infosys, will institute an innovation co-creation lab to explore ways that technology can be used to solve critical maternal and child health challenges.

Every Woman Every Child is a global movement spearheaded by the UN Secretary-General to mobilize and intensify global action to improve the health of women and children. In India, the effort is supported by the India Public-Private Partnership to End Child Diarrheal Deaths, with a vision to prevent deaths of more than 200,000 children under five years of age every year. This partnership will mobilize public and private sector stakeholders to achieve universal coverage of children in India through the intervention of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc by 2015, thereby playing a critical role in preventing diarrheal deaths.

The Infosys lab will facilitate convergence of the initiative's task force members onto a common forum offering tools, platforms, frameworks and processes to organize, manage and assist the co-creational interactions specific to this partnership. Ms Kathy Calvin, CEO, UN Foundation, said, "I commend Infosys on stepping up their commitment to women and children's health by applying their unique strengths to help solve one of India's biggest health challenges."

Mr Subu Goparaju, senior vice president and head-Infosys Labs, commented, "The India Public-Private Partnership has the potential to make a significant impact and reduce child deaths caused by diarrhea in India. Technology can play a significant role in enabling and enhancing collaboration between various stakeholders involved in this initiative and contributes towards developing affordable healthcare solutions. Infosys is committed to this cause and will provide a platform to drive joint innovation to develop affordable healthcare solutions for this initiative."

Mr Ray Chambers, UN Secretary-General's special envoy for Malaria and Chair, MDG Health Alliance, said, "We will not achieve our global goals for maternal and child health without making significant progress in India, where the greatest numbers of women die in childbirth and the greatest numbers of children die before reaching their fifth birthday."