Updates

As 2012 comes to a close, it’s time to celebrate progress by looking back at some of the most memorable milestones and events of the past year. New reports launched this year show that we are moving in the right direction – maternal deaths are dropping, access to family planning is on the rise, and the health of girls and women remains a global priority. Moving into 2013, we look forward to seeing you at our third global conference and continuing our work together to ensure that girls and women are at the heart of development efforts. Read more...

By: Lisa Russell, MPH, an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder of MDGFive.com; Originally posted on Huffington Post

I came across a photograph on my Facebook news feed a few months ago that depicted a mural in Rome scribed with the quote, "The role of the artist is to make revolution irresistible."

As a documentary filmmaker and social activist, my first reaction was to share it amongst my more so-called "radical" artist colleagues who are participating in revolutionary movements, such as those in the Middle East, or protesting police brutality in New York City, or engaging in some other form of political protest. However, I realized I should have forwarded it to my maternal health colleagues as well. Read more...

By: Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin; Originally posted on Global Motherhood, Huffington Post

The ability to decide when to have children, and how many, is seen as one of the most significant social advances of recent decades. However, this quiet but profound revolution has not yet touched all parts of the world equally. Over half a century after modern family planning programmes began to be extended widely across the globe, millions of women are still denied access to them. Read more...

By: Nargis Shirazi, Women Deliver 100 Young Leader; Originally posted on the Frontline Health Workers Coalition Blog

It is a cold rainy day, and a pregnant mother’s water has just broken. A young man stares at the pouring rain hitting the muddy path and sighs. He has no way of getting his wife to the health center that is a two hour walk from his mud-thatched house. He has no money, his bicycle tires are worn out, and they both have no idea what to do! She dies as a result of obstructed labor. Read more...

By: Rose Mlay; Originally posted on White Ribbon Alliance

I was privileged to be one of the invitees to attend a series of high-level events hosted by the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA) Global Secretariat and partner organizations to coincide the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on the 19th-26th September 2012. The events were meant to amplify the voices of national advocates who are working to improve conditions for mothers and newborns. Read more...

By Amy Lieberman; Originally posted on Devex

There is some suspicion around the increasing role of the private sector on global health care delivery, especially in developing countries, admits Geralyn Ritter, senior vice president of pharmaceutical company Merck’s global public policy and corporate responsibility department. But the reality remains: The private sector now provides about half of the health care services in Africa and for roughly 80 percent of families in South Asia. Read more...

Originally posted on WAGGGS

This article is published in collaboration with a larger campaign spearheaded by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and conducted by Heads of State and Government; Heads of U.N. Agencies; CEO’s; Leaders of Civil Society Organizations; and other global leaders who have demonstrated their leadership in the health field, in support of Every Woman Every Child. Learn more at www.everywomaneverychild.org

Two Girl Guides from Nigeria and Hungary have written about what girls and young women in their countries are doing to tackle the issues of maternal health and child mortality. These accounts illustrate the importance of the UN's Every Woman Every Child campaign, and the World Thinking Day themes for 2013 – “together we can save children’s lives” and “every mother’s life and health is precious.” Read more...

By Yousra Yusuf, Women Deliver

Women operate the majority of small farms and contribute more than 75% of all agricultural work worldwide, yet few of them own the land they cultivate and depend upon to feed their families. Secure land and property rights support economic growth, reduce poverty and provide opportunities for empowerment. Land ownership also provides women with economic access to market institutions and social access to non-market institutions, such as household and community relations. Read more...

By: Jill Sheffield and Nalini Saligram; Originally Posted on Huffington Post's Impact Pages

Jill Sheffield is the president of Women Deliver and Nalini Saligram is the founder of Arogya World.

This article is one of several being published to mark the first anniversary of the 2011 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases on Sept. 19. The series is coordinated by Arogya World in partnership with the Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network and will be housed at www.arogyaworld.org.

As world leaders make their way to New York this month to attend the United Nations General Assembly, we call on them to renew their commitments to combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Tackling NCDs with a woman-centered focus is a critical step towards reaching all development goals. Read more...

By: Cecilia García Ruiz, Women Deliver 100 Young Leader from Mexico

This blog is part of a series, edited by Women Deliver, in partnership with Impatient Optimists, on youth perspectives to celebrate World Contraception Day. Share your thoughts in comments and join the conversation at #WCD2012.

World Contraception Day will be celebrated for the 6th time on September 26, 2012. For six years we’ve worked to shine a spotlight on these key issues, but some people still disregard the importance of providing universal access to quality contraceptive services and information to prevent unplanned pregnancies, especially among young people. Read more...

By: Kirsten Gagnaire, Global Director of the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA)

Mobile phones are taking center stage everywhere. Moms always have been. So what do you get when you connect moms with mobile phones? The potential for instantaneous positive change for moms, for families, and for the global fight to stop millions of women and children from dying every year, simply because they have no access to basic health care or information. Read more...

By: Harshi Hettige, Women Deliver

Philips Electronics is continuing its work to strengthen healthcare in Africa, after recently showcasing clinical solutions for maternal and child care across Africa. In early August Philips and CNBC Africa partnered to release a new series called ‘African Dialogues.’ The series provides insight into the issues at the intersection of social welfare and business in Africa. Read more...