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Celebrate Solutions: PATH Develops Simple, Affordable Technologies for Mothers

By: PATH

On the eve of the Women Deliver conference, our thoughts turn to the world’s mothers. At PATH, we’re dedicated to developing simple, affordable technologies to make sure becoming a mother is a time of joy the world over.

In some parts of the world—notably sub-Saharan Africa—childbirth remains an extremely dangerous time in a woman’s life. Some 300,000 women worldwide die each year just before or after delivery. Excessive obstetric bleeding—postpartum hemorrhage—causes 1 in 4 of these deaths. Read more...

 

Partner Spotlight: The Journey to Motherhood is One from which Some Do Not Return.”

By: Dr. Joachim Osur, Program Director, Ipas Africa Alliance

Illness or death during pregnancy in my country, and throughout the region of Africa, is so common as to be considered a necessary risk of creating a family. This is particularly true for women of fewer means or in rural areas. Each case represents a family crisis or tragedy — but to me they represent opportunities lost and rights denied. Read more...

Selected Presenters to Showcase Methods at Women Deliver 2013 Tech & Tech

The Techniques and Technology (Tech & Tech) is a new and exciting feature at Women Deliver 2013, co-hosted by PATH and Women Deliver. It offers a platform for informing and demonstrating to the conference public innovative and useful tools or products improving the health and well-being of girls and women. The co-hosts received many innovative entries from sponsors and exhibitors, from which the most useful and relevant to the Women Deliver 2013 public were chosen. We are excited about the line-up of important methods that will be shared with an expected 5,000 conference attendees. Read more...

Celebration Solutions: The Toilet as a Tool for Social Change

By: Harshi Hettige, Women Deliver

The Sulabh International Social Service Organisation has engineered an innovative, affordable, and environmentally-friendly toilet that has helped over one million marginalized people in India. This group of society in India, known as Balmikis, is condemned to cleaning and manually transporting human waste. Read more...

Celebrate Solutions: Empowering Aspiring Female Tech Workers in Kenya

By: Joanna Hoffman, Women Deliver

Information Technology, or IT, has dramatically transformed how we communicate, learn and work around the globe. Yet the opportunities arising from this new digital world still face significant social and cultural barriers, particularly gender discrimination. Although half of Africa’s workforce is female, women only make up 15% of workers in the technology field. Through an innovative, multi-faceted approach, the AkiraChix training program in Kenya has aimed to turn this trend around, bringing IT training and job opportunities to 200 women so far. Read more...

World Contraception Day: The Power of the Internet

By: Alan Deivid Figueroa Frías, Women Deliver 100 Young Leader from Bolivia

 

 

 

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. For more stories and to get involved further visit No Controversy

More than ever before, young people in Mexico and around the world are using the internet to research contraceptives and other reproductive health issues. This brings a new level of responsibility to information technology, and social media in particular. Read more...

Corporate Buzz: ‘Young Africa Live’ Fills a Gap for HIV/AIDS Youth

By: Harshi Hettige, Women Deliver

Praekelt Foundation’s Young Africa Live (YAL) is an entrepreneurial endeavor supporting the health and well-being of girls, women, and all youth in a fun and dynamic way.

YAL filled a yawning gap in South Africa’s mobile reach, which neglected to provide consumers with any information about HIV/AIDS - where to get tested, how to practice safe sex, and how to avoid getting it. This information is direly needed, particularly in a country where an estimated 5.6 million people were living with HIV and AIDS in 2009, the highest number of people affected in any nation. Read more...

Corporate Buzz: Philips Electronics Showcases Clinical Solutions for Maternal Health

By: Smita Gaith, Women Deliver

Philips Electronics, a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), announced in June that it would continue its work towards MDG 4 and 5 to reduce newborn and maternal deaths. The announcement took place during the 2012 Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow, while on a stopover in Ghana. During the stopover, Philips representatives showcased several clinical solutions designed to make progress towards reaching MDG 4 and 5.
By: Smita Gaith, Women Deliver

Philips Electronics, a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), announced in June that it would continue its work towards MDG 4 and 5 to reduce newborn and maternal deaths. The announcement took place during the 2012 Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow, while on a stopover in Ghana. During the stopover, Philips representatives showcased several clinical solutions designed to make progress towards reaching MDG 4 and 5. Read more...

65 Finalists Advance in Saving Lives at Birth Challenge

The second Saving Lives at Birth Challenge has elicited more than 500 submissions from almost 60 countries on innovative solutions to save the lives of mothers and newborns around the time of birth. On June 14, Challenge partners, which include US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), announced that 65 finalists will move on to the next and final stage of the competition at the DevelopmentXChange, on July 12-14, 2012. Read more...

Corporate Buzz: GE Africa Launches Ultrasound Training Study in Tanzania

By: GE Africa

Recently, GE Healthcare, in partnership with the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, commenced the first-of-its-kind training of 14 Tanzanian Healthcare professionals at the Kisarawe District Hospital on GE's Vscan and Venue 40 ultrasound products.

The training is coming after over a year of designing the "Enhancing Training and Appropriate Technologies for Mothers and Babies in Africa" study prepared to assess the feasibility of technology intervention for enhancing antenatal care in resource poor settings. Read more...

Women and Sustainability: Women and Business Development at Rio+20 - An Interview with Tess Mateo

By: Danielle Nierenberg, Worldwatch Institute

Women Deliver is collaborating with Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project to highlight the important role of women, youth, and sexual and reproductive health and rights in sustainable development at the upcoming Rio+20 conference.

Name: Tess Mateo

Affiliation: Managing Director and Founder of CXCatalysts

Bio: Tess has served as director in the office of the CEO at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the strategic advisor to the Joint US China Collaboration on Clean Energy, and has launched a real estate group, technology company, and innovative specialty clothing line. She is also a member of the New York chapter of the Business and Professional Women’s FoundationRead more...

Oslo Conference Shines a Spotlight on Girls’ and Women’s Health

By: Lindsay Menard-Freeman, Women Deliver

Norway held a high-level conference in Oslo City Hall on June 1, 2012 to showcase its efforts to promote global health and gender equality, including women’s and children’s rights and health. This conference, entitled “A World in Transition; Charting a New Path in Global Health” brought together prominent politicians and experts in a joint effort to eliminate the tragic and preventable deaths of women, mothers and children around the world. Read more...

Celebrate Solutions: SHE Helps Girls Stay in School

By: Connie Lewin, SHE Global Fellow; Sustainable Health Enterprises is a winner of the Women Deliver 50.

Rarely mentioned in public, this taboo subject is steeped in fear and shame. It’s often hushed about behind closed doors and some girls and women even face social stigma if they are known to have it. This taboo is not any type of disease, but a natural occurrence for half of the global population. The shroud of secrecy that covers menstruation is widespread, and it has resulted in significant costs to public health, economic development, and girls’ and women’s dignity. Read more...

Corporate Buzz: Telecom Provider Honored for Maternal Health Mobile Innovation

By: Smita Gaith, Women Deliver

etisalat_phone.jpgTelecom provider Etisalat was recently honored at the GSM (Groupe Spéciale Mobile)Association Awards, for its new maternal health product. The company has received the awards for “Best Mobile Health Innovation” and “mWomen Best Mobile Product” for its innovative service program called “Etisalat Mobile Baby.”

Nearly all maternal mortality cases occur in developing countries, with 1 in 31 deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of these deaths can be prevented by ensuring greater access to information for health workers, more timely arrival at health facilities, and increased ability to recognize problems during pregnancy. Read more...

Launch of First-Ever Global Map of Devastating Childbirth Injury

fistula-map.gifSANTA BARBARA, CA/ SAN JOSE, CA/ UNITED NATIONS, New York—The largest and most comprehensive map of available services for women living with obstetric fistula was launched today by Direct Relief International, the Fistula Foundation, and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The release of the Global Fistula Map, a major step forward in understanding the landscape of worldwide treatment capacity for obstetric fistula, will help streamline the allocation of resources and raise awareness of the condition.

Obstetric fistula, one of the most devastating childbirth injuries, is caused by the lack of a skilled birth attendant and access to emergency care during delivery. It is a highly stigmatizing, though in most cases treatable condition that results from prolonged, obstructed labor and causes chronic incontinence. According to currently accepted estimates, there are some 50,000-100,000 new cases every year. Read more...

Calls for Second Round of Applicants for Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge

Calling all innovators: Do you have an “audacious but achievable” idea to prevent or treat the causes of maternal and neonatal deaths?

If so, then it’s time to prepare an application for the second round of grants for the Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development. USAID, Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and the World Bank have released a request for applications to award $18 million in Saving Lives at Birth grants in fiscal year 2012. Read more...

Nominations for the Women Deliver 50

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Voting is now closed! We received almost 6,000 votes and the winners will be announced on March 7th.

We received more than 500 submissions in the following categories: Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns, Technologies and Innovations, Educational Initiatives, Health Interventions, and Leadership and Empowerment Programs. A selection committee of experts and advocates from leading global NGOs and foundations chose 25 per category. The top 125 are posted here, and voters may choose their 10 favorites, per category. The 50 winners will be announced on March 7th, and they will be featured prominently on Women Deliver's website, through the selection committee's social media portals, and at the Women Deliver 2013 conference in Kuala Lumpur. Read more...

Hesperian Launches Free Maternal Health App

Hesperian Health Guides has launched a free mobile application for iPhone which covers topics including pre-natal health, danger signs during pregnancy, birth and post-natal care, and 20 how-to items for health workers, such as how to take blood pressure. 

The app is designed to be accessible to those in rural settings. Once downloaded to an iPhone, the information can be accessed with no Internet connection required. Read more...

CALL FOR WOMEN DELIVER 50 NOMINATIONS ENDS TODAY, FEBRUARY 10TH AT 6PM EST


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Every year, in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Women Deliver celebrates the progress made on behalf of girls and women worldwide. Our Women Deliver 100 list in 2011, which featured 100 of the most inspiring people who have delivered for girls and women, was covered by over 100 traditional and new media sources. This year, to continue the momentum, we are spotlighting the top 50 inspiring ideas and solutions that deliver for girls and women. We would love to hear what you think are the most innovative, impactful, and promising advancements in overcoming gender inequality. Read more...

Great Expectations From Grand Challenges

Calling For Technological Innovation To Speed Up Saving The Lives Of Mothers And Newborns

By: Joy Lawn
Originally posted by: Healthy Newborn Network

Wind-up powered devices for where there is unreliable electricity, needle-free injections, or inhaled instead. We need more innovation specifically to address the rich-poor gap for medical equipment. An Argentinian car mechanic, inspired by a party trick extracting a cork from a bottle, developed a low cost device to save babies and women from obstructed labor. The Odon device, a plastic bag that is inflated and fixes around the baby’s head to assist during complications due to prolonged second stage of labor, has the potential for wide application in low-resource settings. Across the world, a Norwegian business entrepreneur, has advanced efforts to save babies who do not breathe at birth with a simpler, upright neonatal resuscitation device and lower-cost training mannequins. We need more ideas and more thought leaders like these! Read more...

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