Updates

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.

Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it will clear the way for Plan B’s manufacturers’ to make the “morning-after pill” available without a prescription to 17-year-olds.

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.

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).

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.

The First Ladies know the daunting tasks ahead of them: today one said so poignantly, “Illness has taken Africa hostage.” One delegate reminded us of the devastating toll that AIDS is taking on their economies; she described how AIDS is a multiplier of poverty, orphaning more children, killing more mothers, and reducing families to rubble.

The following is the keynote address Sarah Brown delivered to the African First Ladies Health Summit today in Los Angeles, organized by USDFA and African Synergy. (Originally posted on HuffingtonPost)

I just found out that Arianna Huffington will be the moderator of my panel, “Moving Beyond Rhetoric to Improve Women’s Lives.” I love reading the Huffington Post during the week, especially their Women’s Health and Millennium Development Goals coverage, and I’m really looking forward to hearing her ideas and opinions on our topic. 

I'm about the get on the plane to Los Angeles for the Leadership for Health: African First Ladies Health Summit. Just before I left, my team equipped me with a checklist to hand to all the First Ladies at the event.

At the Leadership for Health Summit, I’m planning to talk with the 22 African First Ladies who are attending. But, my other target group at this conference will be the corporate representatives.

Next week I have the privilege of joining some pretty amazing women at “Leadership for Health: Africa First Ladies Health Summit” in Los Angeles.

To celebrate Mother and Child Health Week in Rwanda, Global Health Progress (GHP) held a roundtable discussion with maternal and child health-focused organizations operating in Rwanda to learn more about ongoing projects promoting the health of women and children.

In Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem's Women's eNews' piece, "Mothers Should Not Die Giving Life," he puts a face on the stats -- his sister, Asmau.

Yesterday, Sarah Brown wrote a piece for the Guardian on her new campaign to improve maternal care. In the article she referenced Professor Allan Rosenfield's famous quote, "Where is the 'M' in MCH?" To address this question, she referenced some recent positive steps forward.

A new report, "Economic Impact of Unsafe Abortion-Related Morbidity and Mortality: Evidence and Estimation Challenges," reveals that unsafe abortion-related morbidity and mortality (UARMM) exacts a huge price annually in terms of the lives and health of women in developing countries each year.

The Going for Goals publication was a joint production by Marie Stopes International and seven other international NGOs who are concerned at the slow progress being made in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The December issue of National Geographic has a great piece on maternal and child health in the central part of India's Maharashtra state. The author, Tina Rosenberg, focuses on the Jamkhed program that trains local midwives to administer health services and deliver babies safely.

One of the many remarkable and heartening aspects of the 2008 U.S. election is that it has engaged the entire world. As we have already heard from countless friends, colleagues, and supporters, we are suddenly living in a time not just of daunting challenges, but of inspiring opportunity and hope.