UN-Backed Task Force Aims to Reduce Maternal Mortality
26 September 2008

NEW YORK – The United Nations, in cooperation with world leaders, launched a new task force on maternal mortality in an effort to reduce the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth and achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5.
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Special Event at UN Highlights Commitment to Mothers and Children
25 September 2008

NEW YORK   The Presidents of Chile, Finland, and the United Republic of Tanzania put the world on alert that the 2015 targets to reduce maternal and child mortality will not be met without concerted global action.

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Africa Seeks a Global Fund to Fight Maternal Deaths
5 September 2008

YAOUNDE, Cameroon – African countries at the 58th Session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Africa conference have proposed setting up a Global Fund to advance the fight against maternal deaths and infant mortality.
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UN Partnerships Tackle Natural Disaster Relief for Pregnant Women in the Pacific
4 September 2008

SASAMUGA, Solomon Islands – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) have established the Joint Country Presence initiative to expand the agencies’ ability to respond to natural disaster crises and provide effective health care to women and children in the Pacific Islands. Click here for more

Mali Event Spotlights Maternal and Newborn Mortality
31 July 2008

BAMAKO, Mali – Academic, NGO, and government officials held a press conference here July 31 to spotlight their action plans to lower the country’s high maternal and newborn mortality. Click here for more

Public Broadcasting Looks In Depth at Maternal Mortality
22 July 2008

NEW YORK—Public broadcasting television puts a spotlight on maternal health in Africa with a feature-length documentary on an unconventional project that trains midwives in Mozambique to perform obstetric surgery.

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Global Health Committee Gives G-8 Poor Marks
18 July 2008

Global health advocates at the recent Group of Eight summit conference have issued a scorecard giving the participating world leaders poor marks for their action – and inaction – on worldwide health needs, particularly those of women and children. Click here for more

More than 140 countries will observe World Population Day on July 11 with events that focus on family planning as key to maternal and newborn survival, to the well-being of future generations and to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
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Celebrities Help Launch “Mamma Campaign” in Sweden
13 June 2008

STOCKHOLM—Noted Swedish authors and TV personalities turned Mother’s Day in Sweden into a launching pad for a nationwide “Mamma Campaign” for education and action on high maternal mortality rates around the world.

The five-year project of the Swedish Family Planning Association (RFSU by its Swedish initials) opened here May 25 with celebrity readings and academic seminars on the reasons half a million women still die every year from pregnancy-related causes.
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Health Care Leaders Commit to Improving Maternal Health
9 May 2008

ATLANTA—Global health leaders meeting with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared today that the world’s maternal death rates are “unacceptable” and that strengthening national health systems is key to improving them.
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Countdown to 2015 Conference Ends on Hopeful Note
21 April 2008

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—On April 19, new measurement tools, firmer costing figures and hopes of major donor action for the G8 meeting this July wrapped up the Countdown to 2015 conference on accelerating progress toward better health for mothers, newborns and children worldwide. Click here for more

WASHINGTON, DC—On Sunday, April 13 2008, co-founders InterAction, Women Thrive Worldwide and the World Conference of Religions for Peace launched the Women, Faith, and Development Alliance (WFDA) at Breakthrough: The Women, Faith, and Development Summit to End Global Poverty.  This unprecedented coalition of influential leaders represent more than 70 organizations in the feminist, faith and international development communities that work to bring an end to poverty. Click here for more

WASHINGTON, DC—On Sunday, April 13 2008, at the Breakthrough: The Women, Faith, and Development Summit to End Global Poverty, an unprecedented coalition of influential leaders, representing more than 70 organizations in the women’s, faith and international development communities. Click here for more

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—From the Countdown to 2015 conference held in South Africa last week, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health made a public call to G8 leaders to fulfill their previous commitments to global health. Those commitments have a price tag for essential interventions that could avert the deaths of over 6 million mothers, newborns and children every year. Click here for more

Washington, DC—Stubbornly high maternal mortality rates ought to cause worldwide outrage and bring charges of human rights abuse, according to speakers at a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill today. Click here for more

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—New commitments for improving the health of mothers, newborns and children were expected at the opening here today of an international conference to track progress toward international goals for reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.
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London—A new report tracking global progress in improving the health of mothers and newborns revealed today that most high-risk countries still do not provide them the basic health services needed to lower unacceptably high death and injury rates. However, the Countdown to 2015 study found that some countries have made significant progress and others have put many factors in place to allow future movement. Click here for more

One month from now, on Tuesday 13 May, marks the 40th anniversary of the basic human right to family planning.  Mark your calendars and find out what advocates are doing to mark this turning point in reproductive justice.  If you are holding an event or meeting, generating articles or letters to the editor, or find other ways... Click here for more

Commission on the Status of Women: Financing for Gender Equality and Empowerment
03 March 2008

New York—Record numbers of advocates from women’s organizations from around the world participated in the 52nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 25 February to 7 March 2008.  Click here for more

Sarah Brown, wife of the UK Prime Minister, discusses maternal mortality at an International Women’s Day meeting held by UK organization Women and Children First.
12 March 2008

London—Sarah Brown, wife of the UK Prime Minister, has lent her support to the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by 2015.

Speaking at an evening reception for Women and Children First, Sarah Brown said: “What always surprises me is how few people are aware of the scale of the maternity mortality around the world.  Maternal mortality must not be the forgotten target in the Millennium Development Goals.   Click here for more

New UNFPA Fund to Target Maternal Mortality
18 March 2008

New York—A new fund dedicated to improving the health of mothers in developing countries will try out some innovative approaches, offer original arguments and set firm performance standards as it gears up over the next four years, according to those closest to the action. Click here for more

UN Honors Women Deliver Partner FCI with 2008 Population Award
6 March 2008

UNITED NATIONS, New York—On March 5th, the United Nations announced that FCI is the 2008 winner of the UN Population Award in the Institutional Category. This award honors an organization “in recognition of outstanding contributions to increasing the awareness of population questions and to their solution.” Ann Starrs, FCI's President, stated “FCI is thrilled to be recognized for our work to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women around the world. Click here for more

UNFPA Scales Up Efforts to Save Millions of Women
14 February 2008

UNITED NATIONS, New York—A new thematic fund for maternal health has been created to boost global efforts to reduce the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth. The fund, established by UNFPA, the United
Nations Population Fund, will also encourage developed countries and private sponsors to contribute more to saving women’s lives. Click here for more