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
FROM NOW ON, EVERY MATERNAL DEATH MUST BE INVESTIGATED THROUGH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND THE CAUSES APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED
if we must succeed we have to scale-up our activities of maternal and child health to rural communities in Nigeria by building capacity of community health workers to take positive action
It is critical to support women’s sexual and reproductive health - providing contraception to your people helps improve their quality of life and thus also nurtures this fragile planet we share.
The midwives of the philippines and others with midwifery skills will support MDG4 and MDG5,
Je soutien la démarche qui consiste à demander aux décideurs africains de faire de la santé maternelle et infantile leur priorité. Un budget conséquent doit être alloué à cette fin.
continue supporting this case and let us strive together to alivate this devastating problem
Respected Everybody,
Duties of all to work together at all level with special training to reduce maternal mortility & achieve MDGs goal.
what is reality today,focus on,protect human right,policy,
programs,budgets,implimation &
follow-up—Dr.Prakash Sanchetee
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Address-A/120,Lake Garden,
Kolkata,India,PIN-700045
MBBS,DMCW,DPH,PGDHH,PGDHA
Maternity-Child Welfare,Public-
Health,Holistic-Health,Health-
Adminstration
iam a registered nurse soon to be registered midwife too. i have the experience in the reproductive health and very concerned about the poor reproductive health in africa. my cuntry contributes alot to maternal and child mortality rates worlwide and my goal is to contribute in achieving millenium development goals.
To achieve MDGs goal in African’s
countries need good coordination
between organization to reach at
grass root level with various activity to deliver in preference way.Work-together,meet-together
reach to all section of community.
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Various people in the world get the business loans from different banks, just because that’s easy.
AFAICT you’ve covered all the bases with this anewsr!
I stand in solidarity with my brothers and sisters in Africa who are working to make sexual and reproductive health a human right available to all.