Transforming Words into Actions,
Policies into Practices to Save Women's Lives
"Despite provisions and sufficiency of medicines available for the women preferring institutional delivery, it is a pity that many women are not provided medicines as per their entitlement. In most of the cases, their family members have to pay bribes and still they face difficulty in getting proper service."
Dr. Nabin Kumar Pati, National Co-Chair, White Ribbon Alliance–India and Assistant State Coordinator, Orissa, June 2, The Statesman
When the High Level Task Force on Innovative International Financing for Health Systems (IIF) convened civil society leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 13-14 and Abuja, Nigeria on May 25-26, leaders of White Ribbon National Alliances from Asia and Africa were there in force, driving home the message that the health systems strengthening must include resources for reducing gap in skilled health workers to reduce maternal mortality. Members also stressed that the maternal mortality is the best measure of how well a health system is functioning.
| Photo caption: WRA Delegation to IIF Consultation in Johannesburg (seated l to r): Dackson Kampira and Maziko Hisbon Matemba (Malawi), Dr. Srihartati Pandi (Indonesia), Robina Biteyi (Uganda), Ratna Tamsary Caya (Indonesia); (standing from left to right): Ahmed Makuwani (Tanzania), Friday Nkhoma (Zambia). |
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Ensuring every woman in Yemen a voice and access to lifesaving care was the unifying call for collaboration of a mid-May series of meetings organized by WRA Affiliate, the National Safe Motherhood Alliance (NMSA). WRA Deputy Director Betsy McCallon and Policy Advisor Lisa Bowen joined NMSA Executive Board members in consultations with Dr. Rashad Al-Alaimi, Vice Prime Minister for Security and Defense Affairs; officials from the Ministries of Health, Religious Endowment and Islamic Affairs, Information, Planning and International Cooperation and the Higher Council for Motherhood and Childhood; as well as civil society leaders of the Yemen Women's Union and National Women's Committee. Stay tuned for the safe motherhood film being produced by NSMA in partnership with the Ministry of Information to be broadcast along with radio messages through national media outlets.
| WRA Global Secretariat representatives and NSMA representatives meeting with the Minister of Information Hassan Ahmed Al-Lowzy |
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It started as a great idea inspired by International Day of the Midwife activities in Canada that led to a teleconference briefing by British Minister Ivan Lewis with members of the Canadian Parliament and then, with vigorous encouragement by Canadian maternal health champions, Andre Lalonde, Bridget Lynch, Dorothy Shaw, Maureen McTeer, leaders of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, International Confederation of Midwives, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics and White Ribbon Alliance, respectively, snowballed into unanimous passage of a resolution in the Canadian Parliament on June 4: "That this House renews its commitment to reducing maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality both at home and abroad and supports Canadian leadership within government and civil society to work within the G-8 and as partners with UN Agencies and appropriate global initiatives to achieve this goal." Click here to read the press release.
| Maureen McTeer and Bridget Lynch |
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Whether the stories of irregularities in receiving the financial incentives for institutional deliveries told by more than 11,000 women who came forward during 12 public hearings organized by the Orissa state chapter of White Ribbon Alliance–India (WRAI); or the Maternal Perinatal Death Inquiry and Response (MaPeDIR) and its investigation of 800 maternal deaths almost always caused by avoidable causes in eight districts of Orissa; or the WRAI media tour that fueled newspaper reports of dysfunctional health facilities and women dying for lack of blood, medicines and skilled birth attendants, persistence in speaking truth to power is impacting change. During a Deliver Now for Women and Children state workshop hosted by WRAI and the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health, the Ministers of Finance, Health and Information of Orissa made public their pledges to ensure quality maternal and child health services, including an adequate supply of post-delivery and neo-natal medicines, increases in skilled health workers, improved emergency transport and appropriate payment to women delivering babies in government institutions.
| Dissemination Workshop of the Deliver Now for Women + Children Campaign in Orissa, India |
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Neither rain nor mud could dampen the spirits of the hundreds of thousands of people in the UK who flocked to the Glastonbury Festival, where thanks to its co-organizer, Emily Eavis, and a surprise appearance by WRA Patron Sarah Brown and WRA Global Ambassador Naomi Campbell, the Million Mums campaign got an unprecedented boost as festival goers responded to the Million Mums call to action, signing up to "work to stop women dying in childbirth" with many immediately spreading the word by sporting an "I heart Mum" tattoo and twittering families and friends to join Million Mums. Click here to read HELLO magazine story.
| Sheltering from the rain under a red brolly, Sarah and her supermodel friend Naomi had plenty to talk - and laugh - about as they toured Glastonbury's site on Friday. The charitable pair were at the festival to promote the work of the Million Mums campaign, an initiative of the White Ribbon Alliance For Safe Motherhood
(Photo: © Twitter) |
You, too, can join the growing global movement demanding action to save the lives of women and newborns. To find out more and get involved, please go to www.whiteribbonalliance.org
Best regards,
Betsy McCallon
Deputy Director, White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
bmccallon@whiteribbonalliance.org
202-777-0933
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