Making Motherhood Safe in Developing Countries
The New England Journal of Medicine April 2007
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Safe Motherhood Conference in Nairobi, an event that launched a global initiative to reduce maternal mortality in developing countries. At that time, maternal and child health programs focused primarily on the health of infants and young children.1 Providing pregnant women with lifesaving medical care was thought to require high technology at large hospitals, and policymakers thought it more feasible to reduce child mortality with preventive measures such as immunization, oral rehydration, and breast-feeding. The conference spotlighted the number of pregnant women dying each year and issued a call to action. So, how far have we come in the past 20 years?
The State of the World’s Children 2007
Women and Children: The Double Dividend for Gender Equality
UNICEF
The State of the World’s Children 2007 reports on the lives of women around the world for a simple reason: Gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand. When women are empowered to live full and productive lives, children prosper. UNICEF’s experience also shows the opposite: When women are denied equal opportunity within a society, children suffer.
Gender Equality at the Heart of Development
Why the role of women is crucial to ending world poverty.
DFID Department for International Development
Introduction by Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for International Development.
This publication is about making a difference. It’s unacceptable that women and girls continue to face discrimination in their everyday lives; discrimination limits the choices they have, the freedoms they enjoy, and the contribution that they can make.
I want the UK to be at the forefront of putting women’s rights and their freedoms at the heart of development. We know from experience, and from the UK’s own history, that where women have equal chances in education, work or in politics, they make a real and lasting difference, one that benefits us all. This booklet sets out what we’ll do and invites you to help us.
The Lancet Maternal Health Survival Series
Healthy motherhood: an urgent call to action
While the past 3 years have ushered in a new phase of commitment to child survival,1 issues surrounding maternal survival have remained largely neglected. The fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG-5) is to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015. Yet, sub-Saharan Africa seems to have stalled in its efforts to improve maternal survival. Only two out of five births benefit from skilled attendants at delivery—and that share has remained unchanged between 1990 and 2003. South Asia has seen improvements: from 27% to 38% coverage with skilled attendants. But coverage rates still remain far too low.
Improving the health of mothers and babies: Breaking through health system constraints
April 2007, id21 insights health, Issue #11
Improving maternal health remains the most elusive of the Millennium Development Goals. Every minute, at least one woman dies from pregnancy-related causes: 99 percent of these are in developing countries. The majority of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, and are avoidable through using standard interventions and health care which all pregnant women and their newborns need.
The Lancet Series on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Executive Summary of Lancet Sexual and Reproductive Health Series
Sexual behaviour, family planning, abortion, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and sexual and reproductive rights are not commonly discussed topics. These subjects often generate strong opinions, make people uncomfortable, and are prone to misinterpretation. So why cover these challenging social and developmental issues in a medical journal?
The world health report 2005 - make every mother and child count
World Health Organization
The World Health Report 2005 – Make Every Mother and Child Count, says that this year almost 11 million children under five years of age will die from causes that are largely preventable. Among them are 4 million babies who will not survive the first month of life. At the same time, more than half a million women will die in pregnancy, childbirth or soon after. The report says that reducing this toll in line with the Millennium Development Goals depends largely on every mother and every child having the right to access to health care from pregnancy through childbirth, the neonatal period and childhood.
Maternal Health and Transport Key Issues Guide
IDS Health and Development Information Team
This key issues guide examines the relationship between maternal health and transport. Specifically, it looks at how transport affects access to preventative and emergency maternal health services. Access to transport enables women to receive timely obstetric care that is essential for their survival. Transport is therefore an important element that contributes towards reaching the fifth millennium development goal, to reduce maternal mortality by 75 per cent by 2015.
The 'three delays' model of maternal mortality is used as a framework to show how transport-related factors affect individuals and families decisions to seek care, identify and reach a facility and receive adequate treatment. The guide provides examples of transport-related interventions that have been implemented to increase access to and use of health facilities and recommendations for policy.
World Abortion Policies 2007 and Microsoft Excel version
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division
World Abortion Policies 2007 provides the most up-to-date, accurate and objective information available on the legal status of induced abortion for the 195 Member and non-Member States of the United Nations. To complement this information, data on abortion rates, contraceptive prevalence, total fertility and maternal mortality are also provided.
State of World Population 2005
The Promise of Equality Gender Equity, Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals
The world has an unprecedented opportunity to realize the promise of equality and freedom from want. During the next decade, hundreds of millions of people can be released from the stronghold of poverty. The lives of 30 million children and 2 million mothers can be spared. The spread of AIDS can be reversed. Millions of young people can play a larger role in their countries’ development and, in turn, create a better world for themselves and generations to come.
Gender equality and reproductive health are indispensable to the realization of this promise.
Preventing the Tragedy of Maternal Deaths
A report on the International Safe Motherhood Conference 1987
The tragedy of maternal mortality and ill health has been largely neglected in the development programmes of Third World countries and the priorities of donor agencies.
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