Last month, the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published a special issue, “Maternal and Neonatal Health in Africa at MDG End: Availability of and Access to Maternal Health Services, and Outcomes of Intervention Strategies.” The series of open access papers discusses the extent to which African countries have invested in maternal and neonatal health programs; facilitators of and barriers to health service utilization; and changes in maternal and neonatal health outcomes during the Millennium Development Goals era…read more
Midwives’ Voices, Midwives’ Realities: A 2016 Report from the World Health Organization
Posted onIn collaboration with the White Ribbon Alliance and the International Confederation of Midwives, the World Health Organization recently published the 2016 “Midwives’ Voices, Midwives’ Realities” report. Midwives play a crucial role in providing high quality care to mothers and newborns around the world, but they face a number of barriers that have not been adequately reflected in research, policy and practice…read more
World AIDS Day: 10 Key Papers on HIV/AIDS and Maternal Health
Posted onAccording to data from the Global Burden of Disease Study, in 2015, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age around the world. While estimates differ depending on the particular global context, a 2013 review concluded that approximately 5% of pregnancy-related deaths worldwide and 25% of pregnancy-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are attributable to HIV. To mark World AIDS Day on December 1st, we compiled a list of 10 key papers related to HIV/AIDS and maternal health…read more
The Lancet Maternal Health Series: External Shocks and Health System Innovations
Posted onThe Lancet Maternal Health Series published in September 2016 contains six papers highlighting the importance of improving access to high quality maternal health care for all women across the globe. In paper 5, “Next generation maternal health: External shocks and health-system innovations,” Kruk and colleagues discuss how social, political, environmental and demographic changes will influence the future of global maternal health and highlight key health system innovations with potential for large impact…read more
Global Leaders in Maternal and Newborn Health: Dr. Clara Menéndez (Spain and Mozambique)
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Professor Clara Menéndez, one of the faculty leading the workshop, is a research professor at the Institute of Global Health at the University of Barcelona, and she was also one of the founders of the Manhica Health Research Center in Mozambique. She has spent most of her career studying how anemia, malaria and other infectious diseases affect mothers and infants. Having worked extensively in The Gambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, Prof. Menéndez serves as a consultant for the World Health Organization on malaria control in children and pregnant women…read more
New “Quality of Maternal Health Care” Blog Series: Call for Submissions
Posted onThe quality of care a woman receives during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum affects her health, the health of her child and the likelihood that she will seek health care in the future. The MHTF is thrilled to announce our new blog series, “Quality of Maternal Health Care”. If you are working on something related to quality of maternal health care, or if you want to share a unique perspective on this topic, please submit your blog post to us…read more
MHTF-PLOS Collection Call for Papers: Non-Communicable Diseases and Maternal Health Around the Globe
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The causes of maternal mortality are complex and often begin well before a woman goes into labor or even becomes pregnant. Improving maternal health outcomes requires a comprehensive understanding of women’s health throughout the life course. Addressing the root causes of poor maternal health is especially important given the current “obstetric transition”: In many parts of the world, we are witnessing an epidemiological shift from mostly direct causes of maternal deaths to more indirect causes. The Maternal Health Task Force and PLOS ONE are delighted to announce the call for papers for the fifth annual MHTF-PLOS Collection: “Non-Communicable Diseases and Maternal Health Around the Globe.”…read more
Universal Children’s Day: Integrating Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
Posted onIn 2015, 5.8 million children around the world died before their fifth birthday. An estimated two million of those deaths were stillbirths and 2.6 million were neonatal deaths. Globally, the leading cause of under-five mortality in 2015 was preterm birth, which is often preventable with timely, high quality care. Pregnancy, childbirth and the immediate postpartum period are critical periods, not just for mothers, but for children as well. To mark Universal Children’s Day, here is the Maternal Health Task Force’s list of top ten key papers and reports related to the integration of maternal, newborn and child health…read more
The Lancet Maternal Health Series: Drivers of Maternity Care in High-Income Countries
Posted onThe Lancet Maternal Health Series published in September 2016 contains six papers highlighting the importance of improving access to high quality maternal health care for all women across the globe. In paper 4, “Drivers of maternity care in high-income countries: Can health systems support women-centred care?” Shaw and colleagues review different models of maternity care, address key influential factors and offer insights into strategies for improving the quality of maternity care in high-income countries (HICs)…read more
Global Leaders in Maternal and Newborn Health: Dr. Nosa Orobaton (Nigeria)
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Dr. Nosa Orobaton, one of the faculty at the Safe Mothers and Newborns Leadership Workshop, is originally from Nigeria. He has worked all over the globe in leadership capacities at the World Health Organization (WHO), John Snow, Inc. and The Global Fund and has served in consulting roles for numerous nonprofits, businesses and governments. Dr. Orobaton is currently at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation…read more