To the African Heads of State,
(Télécharger la version française)
It is a simple truth: The Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved in Africa without addressing sexual and reproductive health. In 2006, recognizing that women and girls deliver enormous social and economic benefits to their families, communities, and nations, the African Union boldly adopted a short-term plan to achieve the MDGs and save women’s lives in their continent: The Maputo Plan of Action. You understood the needs and realities of your countries, you came together, and you adopted a plan that moved sexual and reproductive health higher on Africa’s political agenda. We commend you for taking the lead in addressing sexual and reproductive health, including maternal health and family planning.
Now, the Maputo Plan of Action is about to expire, and we’re calling on you to reenergize your efforts to achieve the goals that you set in 2006. It’s time to build on the legacy of the Maputo Plan, and to move forward with renewed determination to save the lives of millions of women and girls.
At the Summit of the African Union next week, it is time to revisit the Maputo Plan of Action, to recognize the progress that has been made, and to get all African countries onboard the implementation of the plan. In May 2009, the African Union launched the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA). The Maputo Plan of Action and CARMMA represent the two targets of MDG5, reducing maternal mortality and assuring universal access to reproductive health. These complementary efforts will increase the attention and commitment to the end result – achieving MDG5 (and others) by 2015.
We are asking you to recommit to making the Maputo Plan of Action a reality and to moving Africa toward social and economic sustainability. At the Summit of the African Union, we hope you will:
- Invest in family planning – a ‘quick win’ to substantially reduce maternal mortality. The world must commit another US $12 billion a year to fulfill the unmet need for family planning and provide every woman with the recommended standard of maternal and newborn care.
- Prioritize young people to ensure access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.
- Strengthen health systems, prioritizing sexual and reproductive health through targeting policies, programs, and budgeting.
- Advance and protect human rights for girls and women.
We know how to save the lives of girls and women through cost-effective solutions: family planning programs; skilled care for mothers and newborns before, during, and after childbirth, including emergency obstetric care; and safe abortion, when and where legal. And, we know how women who survive pregnancy and childbirth can deliver for the world. You’ve already set out the plan. Now, we need to work together to implement these solutions so that together we can reduce maternal and newborn deaths and harness that power for increased productivity, strong health systems, empowered girls with greater potential, and a more prosperous world for us all.
Invest in women - it pays!
Signed,
Jill Sheffield
President, Women Deliver
Entry Comments
Our small charity has been responsible for saving around 13,000 lives in SubSaharan Africa by supplying Magnesium Sulphate and Misoprostol free of charge to women. Imagine how many women could be saved and contribute to the MDG being achieved if every women had these medications freely available?
The substance of a society is reflected in the status, treatment and experience of women. Lets work together and make contraception, pregnancy, birth and post natal care safe, respectful and funded.
African states should take the lead in saving our women and children, since they are are the ones mainly dying and having to endure health and reproductive disparities all over the world.We must put an end to the under funding and lack of support for our most valuable asset our women, children and families.
Jamila Ali,
Women’s Health Nurse Practictioner
The Sisters Upperroom
NY, NY, USA
The solutions to reducing maternal and child deaths are known! What is the missinglink is the “means” to do the solutions. Dear leaders, lets recommit ourselves to old committments we made in Alma Ata, Cairo, Maputo, Abuja and the new ones we shall make in Kampala! Together we can.
the most important this here should be policy making. there should be proper budgeting, gender-discriminatory-free system of education.health leaders should make conscious decisions and thus be vigilant about the impacts of their implications. there seems to be a paucity of strategic planning. women are to be prioritized and gender budgeting should be carried out properly. the basic motive would have to be the fullfillment of the MDGs. there should be audit care, follow-up care(especially for women.
Strengthening our national health systems must be key priority of our government and us. Let’s ACT now!
I look forward to that day that no woman dies during pregnancy in Africa - Nigeria.
We must all put our hands on the plough without looking back
Our government is our catalyst, hence we plead for more money to achieve this.
You have my support!
Maternal and Neonatal deaths are unacceptabily high in African Countries.Improving Maternal and Child Health arechallenges to African Leaders.Let us join hands in supporting interventions aim at improving maternal and Child in our countries.
Women’s health is human right! African leaders should treat women and human beings by addressing their concerns through policies and better resource allocation. These are strategic interventions towards African development
Letter to African heads of state.
Dear leaders,
At the summit of African Union that is going on right now in Kampala, Uganda. Please revisit the Maputo plan of action to identify progress so far made so as to move to the next plan with realistic solutions. African states are the ones highly affected by maternal, newborn & child mortality. This should be a driving force to African leaders to take lead in investing in sexual reproductive health and reproductive health rights. Give adequate funding, support, & other resources, enabling environment for service delivery and service providers to change this. Working together to implement the identified solutions, will move us together to achieve MDGs 5&4, have empowered girls with greater potential, increased productivity and social & economic sustainability. Thus healthy prosperous Africa and world over.Invest in women, it works. Catherine Betty Odeke.
Political will and leadreship is essentila instrument for ensuring the sexual reproductive and maternal health in the context of African people. Let have the commitment of the head of states.
It is time we advocate for reproductive health for our women. We must work towards achieving goals 4 and 5 of the MDGs by 2015
We must advocate for Child survivaL TO REDUCE CHILD MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY BY IMMUNIZING OUR CHILDREN. EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO BE IMMUNIZED.
I humbly call world leaders to promote Community Partnership, involve the youths in sexual and reproductive health programme design and implementation and increase the funds allocated to the health sector especially those that address maternal and child health. Lets start now and involve all stakeholders. Edwidge - Uganda
The time is now! We all must strve for it!The Reduction of child Mortality Must be Now!
I support the re-commitment of the Maputo Plan in African Nations. This plan will help buttress the MDG of The United Nations and will make a significant impact on improving the lives of many women and children.
This cause is truly a winner for all: it helps the women, the children, the men, and ultimately the future of Africa. Please work to implement the Maputo plan.
Please, make the Maputo Plan of Action a reality, protect human rights for woman and children. Make change happen it is all about what we want to do…there are no impossible things if there is willingness.
For all African countries to sign and implement this agreement would be a huge step forward for not only the women of Africa, but for all of Africa. Kudos to the country of Cameroon who signed it previously.
Promoting maternal and infant health requires a strong political will and this begins with our heads of states. Women and children have been the pride of Africa. So invest in women for it pays
Lets support all women that are so unfortunate through out the world especially in Africa.gOD bLESS THEM ALL
Do something now.
Sub-Sahara Africa,eg Kenya, We kenya women would like the world need women for improve quality of life. Political will and finances will prevent needless daeths and we will have a better country, continent and world. My name is Rukia Ahmed
THE NEED FOR MOTIVATED HEALTHCARE STAFF IN RURAL AREAS FOR EFFECTIVE HEALTHCARE DELIVERY ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE INTERVENTIONS HAS BECOME IMPERATIVE AND ANNUAL BUDGETARY PROVISIONS FOR THIS FOR ALL NATIONS WITHIN THE REGION WOULD BE ONE SURE WAY TO GUARANTEE THIS PARTICULAR BIT OF OUR ACTION PLAN.