Updates

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 14 April – With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is announcing the development of a Joint Action Plan for accelerating progress on maternal and newborn health.

“No woman should die bringing life into the world,” said Secretary-General Ban. “We must create a seamless continuum of care that helps to improve the health of women from pregnancy through childbirth and builds the foundation for a healthy society.”

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women and girls die in pregnancy or childbirth, and another 10-15 million suffer severe or long-lasting illnesses or disabilities caused by complications.  The Joint Action Plan will bring together key partners -- including Governments, foundations, the corporate sector, civil society, and United Nations agencies -- in a targeted effort to improve the health of women and children.

Lancet Report Indicates Dramatic Drop in Global Maternal Mortality Figures, but Increases in US and Canada

A new study in the Lancet reports that maternal deaths have fallen by more than 35 percent over the past 30 years, offering one of the first indicators that investment in maternal health programs is having measurable effects. The Women Deliver conference, June 7-9 in Washington DC, will gather global leaders in a historic effort to push policymakers to build on momentum and increase funding for proven maternal health programs by at least $12 billion per year through 2015.