While advocacy efforts around home birth—typically in high-income countries—tend to center on women’s rights to choose where they will have their babies, it is important to remember that home birth is not always a choice. Particularly in low-resource settings, women sometimes deliver at home not because they want to, but because they have to…read more
A Low-Cost Care Bundle Reduces Preterm Infant Mortality in Tanzania
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Despite progress, Tanzania’s under-five mortality rate continues to be high—largely driven by deaths during the first week of birth. A pilot study recently assessed the benefits of a low-cost, evidence-based preventive care bundle on preterm infant mortality. The pilot was introduced at three university-affiliated and one district hospital with support from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Tanzania…read more
Midwives, Government Officials and International Agencies Meet in Mexico City to Discuss Inclusion of Birth Centers Into the National Health System
Posted onIn January 2018, the Network for Midwifery Centers held an International Best Practices Meeting in Mexico City bringing together stakeholders from the World Health Organization, the Pan-American Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund, the Committee for Safe Motherhood, Federal Ministry of Health, eight State Ministries of Health, academics, midwives, mothers and other grassroots organizations to come to agreement on the role of midwifery centers in improving maternal health in Mexico…read more
Landmark Ruling in Kenya: A Victory for Respectful Maternity Care
Posted onThis year, International Day for Maternal Health and Rights fell three weeks after a Kenyan woman was awarded 25,000 USD in compensation by a court in Bungoma, Kenya for the disrespect and abuse she suffered during childbirth in 2013. This is a landmark case for women, in Kenya and globally, and is an affirmation of their human right to respectful and dignified maternity care…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
New Positions in Global and Maternal Health
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Interested in a position in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent or global health? Every month, the Maternal Health Task Force rounds up job and internship postings from around the globe. This month, we are featuring positions with UNFPA, Guttmacher Institute, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and other organizations…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
Upcoming Webinar: A Global Survey of Skilled Birth Attendants
Posted onPlease join the Fistula Community of Practice on 10 April 2018 at 9:00 am Eastern Daylight Time for a webinar sharing findings from a global survey of skilled-birth attendants (SBAs) in low- and middle-income countries. The survey examined SBAs’ training, knowledge, practices and facility environment as they relate to intrapartum and postpartum bladder care and management of prolonged/obstructed labor…read more