A new joint report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank explores how low quality care compromises health outcomes around the world—especially in low- and middle income countries. The report shines a spotlight on quality of maternal health care…read more
New Drug Shows Promise in Preventing One of the Most Common Causes of Maternal Death
Posted onMidwives on the Edge—Providing Essential Care in Crisis Settings
Posted onAcross many settings, midwives are key players in the maternal health workforce. The Maternal Health Task Force recently had the pleasure of interviewing Sera Bonds, Founder/CEO of Circle of Health International, for her insight into successes, challenges and the role of midwifery in crisis settings…read more
Insight Into Maternal Health in Humanitarian Crisis Settings
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In honor of World Refugee Day, the Maternal Health Task Force interviewed Jocelyn Finlay, a researcher investigating the provision and use of maternal health services in an urban setting and within refugee camps in Burundi. According to Finlay, “We wanted to hear about the maternal health services offered, and used, and see if the gap is generated by lack of supply or lack of demand.”…read more
Exploring Group Antenatal Care in Low-Resource Settings
Posted onResearch in high-income countries has shown that compared to the traditional one-on-one model of antenatal care (ANC), group ANC can offer positive health outcomes. To address the evidence gap in low-resource settings, researchers recently developed a “generic” model of group ANC for low- and middle-income countries and conducted a feasibility study in urban India…read more
International Day of the Midwife: How Integrating Midwifery Care Can Improve Maternal and Newborn Health
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The Maternal Health Task Force recently had the pleasure of interviewing Saraswathi Vedam, Principal Investigator, Birth Place Lab, and Associate Professor, Division of Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia about her innovative study assessing the integration of midwifery across the United States…read more
World Malaria Day: New Resources for Addressing Malaria in Pregnancy
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While the number of deaths from malaria has declined around the world, malaria in pregnancy (MiP) continues to pose substantial health risks to pregnant women and newborns. MiP is a large contributor of global maternal deaths, and in sub-Saharan Africa, malaria infection in pregnancy accounts for approximately one in five stillbirths and one in ten newborn deaths. MiP can lead to other complications including anemia, prematurity and low birthweight…read more
What Do Women Want When It Comes to High Quality Maternal and Reproductive Health Care?
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Launched today on International Day for Maternal Health and Rights by the White Ribbon Alliance and partners, the What Women Want campaign aims to gather input from at least one million women and adolescent girls about how they define high quality maternal and reproductive health services. Take the one-question survey and spread the word!…read more
International Day for Maternal Health and Rights: Five Perspectives on Respectful Maternity Care
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Tomorrow, 11 April is International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, a call-to-action to address every woman’s right to high quality, respectful care before, during and after pregnancy. Experts in research, midwifery, obstetrics and gynecology and program implementation share insight into respectful maternity care (RMC) and how to integrate the principles of RMC into quality improvement initiatives…read more
World Health Day 2018: Maternal Health Care and Universal Health Coverage
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This Saturday, 7 April is World Health Day, and this year’s theme is universal health coverage (UHC). Accessible maternal health care is a critical component of UHC that affects women, their families, communities and nations at large. We have rounded up resources exploring maternal health care and UHC…read more