Interventions to improve facilities’ capacity to respond quickly and effectively to obstetric emergencies are often extremely difficult to implement in low-resource settings. However, several low- and middle-income countries have implemented effective interventions to reduce maternal deaths despite resource limitations and other challenges…read more
World Preeclampsia Day: Reducing Preventable Deaths From Preeclampsia
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As a leading cause of maternal mortality, preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy claim the lives of nearly 76,000 mothers and 500,000 babies worldwide every year. To raise awareness about preeclampsia as a life-threatening complication of pregnancy, maternal health organizations around the world are joining forces to host the first-ever World Preeclampsia Day on 22 May…read more
Implementation Science to Improve Maternal Health Research and Programs: The Power of Partnerships
Posted onReplicating health interventions in new settings or scaling them up requires careful adaptation to reflect the complexity and diversity in different contexts. Implementation science can help generate evidence that is relevant and useful to decision-makers, resulting in practical, positive changes on the ground. Partnerships between researchers, implementers and policymakers are also key…read more
Perspectives on Monitoring Progress Toward Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality: Highlights from CUGH 2017
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Earlier this month, global health experts (and students aspiring to be experts) from around the world gathered for a series of presentations, panels and posters at the 2017 Consortium of Universities for Global Health Conference in Washington, D.C. The panel titled “Perspectives on Monitoring Progress Toward Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality: What Measures Matter?” provided an opportunity to discuss the monitoring framework developed to accompany the Strategies toward ending preventable maternal mortality (EPMM) report released in 2015…read more
Using Improvement Science to Address Maternal Mortality in the United States
Posted onUnlike in most countries around the world, the maternal mortality rate in the United States has risen over the last decade. To address this problem, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) partnered with key stakeholders to host “Eradicating Avoidable Maternal Mortality with Improvement Science,” an event held in conjunction with the IHI National Forum…read more
Recognizing Child Marriage as a Maternal and Women’s Health Issue
Posted onFatimatah was forced into marriage by her family at the age of 16 and suffered severe physical, financial, educational and emotional consequences. Unfortunately, Fatimatah’s story is not hers alone: Globally, about one in ten girls marries before age 15, and about one in three marries before age 18. Early marriage puts young girls at risk of developing numerous negative maternal and reproductive health outcomes…read more
The Burden of Infertility in Nigeria: Raising Visibility to Promote Equitable Access to Care
Posted onIn low-resource settings such as Nigeria, accessing basic assisted reproductive technology treatments can be challenging or impossible for many couples who want to conceive. There is a need to raise the visibility of infertility within the maternal health care field. People in Nigeria, other low-resource settings and all over the world deserve equitable access to infertility care…read more
Respecting Choice in Childbirth: Preferred Delivery Positions Among Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam
Posted onFor Vietnam’s ethnic minorities, their cultural preferences and traditions surrounding childbirth are often portrayed as obstacles to the uptake of maternal health services. One cultural preference that is viewed as a barrier to receiving maternal health care is the use of traditional birthing positions. Providing high quality care requires evidence-based policies that respect the cultural practices, preferences and needs of ethnic minorities…read more
From the Archives | In the United States, Black Mothers Need More Than Health Care
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While lack of access to health care has certainly contributed to maternal and infant death in the Black community, it doesn’t account for the extreme racial disparities seen in pregnancy-related outcomes. A growing body of evidence indicates that social, economic and psychological factors play a role as well…read more
Strengthening Health System Governance for Improved Quality of Maternal Health Care in Nigeria
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Using an adapted version of the World Health Organization governance actions, the Partnership for Transforming the Health System II Project illustrates the role of governance in improving the quality of maternal care by increasing access to skilled birth attendants who can provide active management of the third stage of labor in Nigeria…read more