This week, Akimbo, the blog for the International Women's Health Coalition, published a 3-part series on the importance of investing in women taken from a speech given at the 20th World Population Day in Abuja, Nigeria.
Updates
Liya Kebede: Advocate for Maternal Health
July 21st, 2009
Today, supermodel, actress, and mother Liya Kebede posted to the Huffington Post about, "We Need a Global Fund for Moms."
A First Lady Speaks Out on Maternal Health
July 20th, 2009
Earlier this month, Sia Nyama Koroma, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, wrote an article on Huffington Post titled, "It's Time to Make Mothers a Priority."
Getting the Conversation Started—Invest in Women
July 17th, 2009
Our very own Jill Sheffield has posted on Conversations for a Better World as a "conversation starter." In her blog post, she writes:
Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru
July 16th, 2009
Amnesty International just uploaded this video. Watch it and then read this article on CNN.com about pregnancy and childbirth in Peru.
Was the G8 Summit a Success?
July 10th, 2009
Last year, at the G8 in Japan, the leaders of the world paid attention to maternal health. They recognized that saving women’s lives was a great investment in the social and economic well-being of the world.
Op Ed on Maternal Mortality in Developing Countries
July 9th, 2009
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama's visit to Africa this weekend "will send a powerful message to the world about their commitment to ensuring Africa's continued progress," wrote Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) in an opinion piece in http://thehill.com/op-eds/improving-maternal-health--in-developing-countries-2009-07-07.html">The Hill.
Budget Analysis and Maternal Mortality
June 24th, 2009
Barriers to Ending Maternal Deaths
June 19th, 2009
Just when you think you've got it all figured out! We just found an article from AllAfrica.com about doctors in Ghana who have had to halt special prenatal home visits because road crash casualties are taking up so much of their time and scarce resources, medical workers say.
Maternal Health is a Human Right
June 12th, 2009
In a fantastic op-ed in the Boston Globe, Mary Robinson and Alicia Yamin, advisory council members of the International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights, discuss the issue of preventable maternal deaths as a violation of women's rights.
Letter to the Editor, NY Times
June 5th, 2009
To the Editor: The May 29 editorial, Preventable Deaths notes little progress in the last decade on reducing maternal mortality - 500,000 deaths annually, 99% in developing countries.
Coalition for Women Deliver, India
June 2nd, 2009
A few months ago, Deepali Gaur Singh wrote a piece on the Huffington Post about maternal mortality in India and Women Deliver's efforts to improve maternal health in this region.
Progress on Health-Related MDGs
May 21st, 2009
The Millennium Development Goals were set with the target deadline of 2015. We probably don't have to tell you -- we are not even close. In fact, MDG 5 (reduce maternal mortality) is the most off-track of all the MDGs, as stated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
New Report on Maternal Morbidity
May 14th, 2009
Maternal morbidity is an issue that sometimes gets left off the table when it comes to discussing and advocating for maternal health.
Mother’s Day Around the World
May 8th, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009, is International Mother’s Day. While it is a time to honor our own mothers, this day should also remind us of the 500,000 women who die every year from complications due to pregnancy and childbirth, and spur us to take action.
Maternal Mortality and Human Rights
April 30th, 2009
Check out the new website of the International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights (IIMMHR).
Leadership for Health: Looking Back
April 28th, 2009
Last week’s amazing meeting of some of Africa’s most conscientious First Ladies showed that the momentum we felt take hold at the Women Deliver conference in 2007 — the awareness and concern about the grim challenges that too many mothers confront when attempting to give life — is gaining strength.
Leadership for Health: The Grand Gala
April 22nd, 2009
Last night was the gala organized by US Doctors for Africa. Nineteen First Ladies were there, or were represented, along with celebrities like Sharon Stone, Danny Glover, and even Paris Hilton. It was a terrific start to a 5 year effort by US Doctors for Africa and African Synergy.
Leadership for Health: Speech from Jill Sheffield
April 22nd, 2009
The following is the speech Jill Sheffield prepared for the African First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles (a portion of this written speech was delivered).
Leadership for Health: What it Means to Be a First Lady
April 21st, 2009
Yesterday, the Leadership for Health: African First Ladies Health Summit kicked off to an amazing start. Maria Shriver gave a welcome speech to the participants of the meeting (over 300 people!) that was absolutely fantastic.