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
It is sad and painful that more than half way to 2015, virtually all the African countries will not achieve the MDGs…!!! This is despite the huge finances, yet on problems that are amenable to ‘simple’ effective and practical public health measures/interventions. Alot can indeed be achieved if our political leaders can show a’little’ committment…..!!! IN order to avert this preventaable MORTALITY, especially on MDG-5. Alot has been said in the just concluded international conference- Womne Deliver in Washington DC. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW, FOR EVERY WOMAN COUNTS…!!!
The Maputo PoA and CARMMA with CIPD, BEIJING and MDG5…SAVE LIFES
We need more support!!!!
African Heads of States. Together, with collective efforts will surely make a difference. their obligations to seek to improve and strengthen healthcare delivery system , fight violence against women especially for the vulnerable, women and girl’s is required to ensure that women and girla and children can live just and healthy lives.
Please help the women in Africa!
Save our women Save the future. If you allow women to die because the are giving birth to living being who will replace us when we are gone, then it is in justice to fellow humans. Let us join hand to make MDG 5b a reality for posterity sake. Let us join hand to save our MOTHERS.
I support greatly this initiative to reduce the unacceptable maternal wastage. Indeed African women must not continue to cry for life. I urge African Heads of State to keep faith with the these initiatives they have endorsed.
I’m giving full support to this letter, and would be pleased to see the AU invest more in prevention and protection for the large numbers of women suffering in conflcit zones in Eastern Congo
At Hope-Aid we believe that we can and should end the high maternal and child mortality rate in Africa.Its time to keep our commitments to the continents girls and mothers. Please honour the people of Africa by showing value for human life.
Access to sexual and reproductive health is a human right that women have long been denied. It is time that women’s health needs are recognised, respected and funded.
The health budget should relate to the health issues on ground and according to geo-political zone and focus should be on the three tiers on health systems, the tertiary, secondary and primary. The focus should be more on disease prevention and health promotion.
The high maternal morbidity and mortality must be on top of government agenda of every government of Sub-Saharan Africa. The high statistics must be reduced with immediate effect.
As child morbidity and mortality reduced through Child survival programs as; Growth Monitoring, Oral Dehydration Therapy (ORT) Breast Feeding, Immunization and Female Education promotion, Family Planning (GOBIFF), and our children now survive, the same concept and zeal that saved million of children’s lives should be adopted for Maternal health issues.
We can’t further waste time many women are dying through childbirth related deaths, FGM, Gender Violence etc. Lets all take urgent action.
The Maputo Plan of Action and the CARMMA are great targets that were set by our countries. Your position as leaders should be able to trace the progress so far in achieving MDG5. You should leverage your governments to support the cause of these brilliant documents. Stand to be counted among the muscle behind the success of the MGDs in general. Family planning can do wonders to the world!
The KaiCombey Foundation is committed to working towards the well-being of all African children and mothers - and the African leaders should demonstrate unreserved commitment towards this objective.
Improve maternal health in Africa.
The maternal morbidity Obstetric fistula is a hidden disease in the rural community of Bangladesh. So it needs urgent attention to the political leaders, policy makers and service providers and local community leaders.
Everyone should keep up with all promises to deliver to the poverty alloviation of its nation.
JE suis ex Ministre de la Santé Publique du Niger. Je pense sincèrement qu’il est temps que les leaders africains passent des declarations d’intention aux actions concrêtes; La mise en eouvre du plan d’action de Maputo suppose l’allocation suffisante de budget pour le renforcement du système de santé . Où en sommes nous en Afrique pour la mise en place des Assurances maladies, des mutuelles de santé ?Union Africaine doit imposer une bonne gouvernance à travers la mise en place d’un système de suivi évaluation des performances des Pays c’est à dire quelles actions , quelles résultats vers l’atteinte des OMD .
JE suis ex Ministre de la Santé Publique du Niger. Je pense sincèrement qu’il est temps que les leaders africains passent des déclarations d’intention aux actions concrêtes; La mise en eouvre du plan d’action de Maputo suppose l’allocation suffisante de budget pour le renforcement du système de santé . Où en sommes nous en Afrique pour la mise en place des Assurances maladies, des mutuelles de santé ?Union Africaine doit imposer une bonne gouvernance à travers la mise en place d’un système de suivi évaluation des performances des Pays c’est à dire quelles actions , quelles résultats vers l’atteinte des OMD .
I am in solidarity of this initiative. Now is the time for action.
Yes,we need the Governments to increase their health budgets,to employ more skilled labor,carry out clinical audits and improve quality of care besides strengthen community healthy strategy.
Keep up the good work. The time is now… God Bless
Je supporte cette lettre pour le Sommet de l’Union Africaine .
Il est inadmissible que des millions de femmes meurent en donnant la vie et que des enfants meurent faute de soins et de malnutrition alors qu) on continue à acheter des armes pour des guerres qui n’ont aucun sens pour nos populations surtoput les femmes et les enfants . Dommage et hont pour nos pays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
African leaders must work selflessly to abolish poverty in our continent, they must address all issues that concern women and children, because they are the worst hit when it comes to poverty, war and poor health care.
African leaders should commit to “Gender Budgeting” to make good their promises on MDG5 and other gender and women related MDGs. Without financial commitment their promises on maternal health, gender equality and equity are null ab initio.
we need to partner more with community leaders, community members and CBO to ensure all pregnant women attend ANC