Regional Maternal Health Advocates Convene in Mexico

This week, over 200 key decision-makers, civil society advocates, donors, journalists, health workers and youth activists gathered in Mexico City for the regional consultation “Maternal Health in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Unfinished Agenda.” Convened by the Regional Task Force on Maternal Mortality (GTR) in partnership with Women Deliver, the meeting featured discussions on proven life-saving maternal health interventions and on the future development framework.

The meeting was the third regional consultation to be held by Women Deliver with partner groups. The sub-Saharan Africa consultation took place in Kampala, Uganda in collaboration with Partners in Population and Development’s Africa Regional Office, and the Asia consultation took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh in partnership with USAID’s flagship MCHIP program.

After an inauguration by the Undersecretary of Health Prevention and Promotion from Mexico’s Federal Government, Dr Pablo Kuri Morales and Mexico City’s Secretary of Health, Dr. Armando Ahued Ortega, the consultation kicked off a series of expert presentations and group discussions. Plenary speaker Carmen Barroso, Regional Director of IPPF/WHR, gave the keynote talk, noting that “Twenty five percent of all maternal deaths in the region could be avoided just by eliminating unwanted pregnancies. Maternal death is a shame on a region that boasts of its democratic development.”

Additional presenters included Ana Langer from the Harvard School of Public Health, who stated that a broad coverage in health does not necessarily mean better quality in health services. “Not using effective evidence-based interventions is a big issue in maternal health. The excessive use of C-sections is a perfect example of this.”

While sharing success stories and lessons learned, consultation participants also looked to the future of development, both regionally and globally.  During interactive working group discussions, participants shared ideas and strategies on how to design a framework that prioritizes the health and rights of girls and women in the region and beyond. To view the consultation agenda, please click here.  

Youth advocates are particularly valued stakeholders in the region, as young women constitute about 40% of all women who undergo unsafe abortions, subjecting themselves to the risk of disability, injury or death. To ensure the participation of young people at this consultation, a pre-conference workshop was organized for 22 carefully-selected young advocates from across the region. Participants learned advocacy and communications strategies to prepare them for an enriching, participatory experience at the consultation. 

Outcome documents from the consultation will be sent to the United Nations Secretary-General, and will also be used to determine the agenda of Women Deliver’s third global conference, May 28-30, 2013 in Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Press releases for the meeting are available for June 4th, June 5th, June 6th and June 8th.

For more information on Women Deliver’s Regional Consultations, please click here.