By: Erin Anastasi, Coordinator, Campaign to End Fistula & Technical Specialist – SRH at UNFPA HQ (NY) & Ms. Kevin Nalubwama, Fistula Expert Client (Uganda) and Consultant (Operation Fistula) No person can be free until all persons are free. Women’s rights are human rights, yet worldwide, too many women and girls are still denied their fundamental … Continue reading “Women’s rights are human rights! End fistula now!”
Every day, over 800 women die during pregnancy or childbirth due to preventable causes. Despite global advancements in health system capacity, medical technology, and gender equality, maternal mortality and morbidity remain high. Women and societies deserve better, and we as maternal health advocates must step up to verify that sufficient progress is being made. SDG … Continue reading “How can measurement drive accountability in maternal and newborn health?”
In the fight to end preventable maternal mortality worldwide, measurement may not be the most pressing task on every maternal health professional’s mind. However, without relevant, useful, and valid measures, tracking progress towards goals is impossible. Maternal and newborn health measurement may sound like a complicated and highly technical field but there are some surprisingly … Continue reading “New Blog Series: Examining the “big questions” in maternal health measurement”
“What gets measured is what matters.” This saying raises the question: who decides what matters? Establishing global targets and strategies can help countries galvanize political will, global and domestic funding, and focus attention on improving maternal health. At the same time, the global measurement frameworks that track progress across countries are funded and organized … Continue reading “Who decides what matters in maternal and newborn health measurement?”
This live and webcast event discussed the recommended action to redesign service delivery, and its implications for maternal and newborn health care in response to the recommendation from The Lancet Global Health Commission on High Quality Health Systems in the SDG Era (HQSS Commission) that calls for the redesign of service delivery and prompts us to reexamine maternal and newborn care at the primary level…read more
Increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding is an effective strategy for preventing diarrhea, a leading cause of poor nutritional status and death among infants. Researchers at the Mumbai-based non-profit Society for Nutrition, Education & Health Action recently published results of a study aimed at improving exclusive breastfeeding practices in informal settlements in Mumbai…read more
“We cannot achieve our goals of ending maternal and child deaths without addressing critical health system barriers around the world,” said Grace Chee of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program at a recent Wilson Center event. To improve the lives of mothers and children, health workers must address the underlying causes of poor health outcomes, including systemic weaknesses in health care governance, financing and human resources…read more
High quality maternal health care requires a health workforce and health systems that adequately respond to local needs and can meet emerging challenges, such as those at the intersection of maternal health and noncommunicable diseases. Guyana’s health system structure has serious potential to evaluate and respond to these complex health issues, but decisions concerning resources and strategies require evidence-based support…read more
Timor-Leste should be applauded for its progress in maternal health over the last decade-and-a-half, serving as an inspiring model for other low-income, post-conflict countries to follow. A substantial amount of work remains for Timor-Leste to achieve the maternal mortality targets under the Sustainable Development Goals, but it is clear that the country is on the path to success…read more
