From Research to Results: Promoting Healthy Mothers and Newborns

Sept. 22, 2005—CEDPA, in collaboration with Family Health International and Save the Children, held a September 22 seminar on how to improve the health of mothers and newborns around the world.

Experts presented to a standing room only crowd on topics including preventing neonatal mortality and mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, as well as models for mobilizing communities to promote safe motherhood. The panelists, moderated by Mary Ellen Stanton of the U.S. Agency for International Development, shared experiences from community-level initiatives on preventing maternal mortality and improving newborn survival in developing countries.

Research shows that more than 500,000 women worldwide die each year from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Newborn and stillborn deaths total eight million annually. The vast majority of these deaths occur in the developing world, primarily in Africa and Asia.

Yet, experts on the September 22 panel noted that solutions are close at hand. Simple, cost-effective investments can drastically reduce the risk women face in childbirth, they noted.

Anne Tinker of Save the Children highlighted the latest research on saving newborn lives. She described successful family, clinical, community and outreach programs, including efforts to improve competencies of health staff and improve newborn care practices.

Family Health International’s Gloria Sangiwa discussed creative solutions for counseling and testing to help prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Aparajita Gogoi, of CEDPA/India, shared results from the White Ribbon Alliance efforts in India, a campaign to raise awareness, build alliances and mobilize actions around safe motherhood.

The technical seminar series will continue in 2006 with topics including gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS and conflict mitigation.

Read more about the White Ribbon Alliance’s work on Social Mobilization and Advocacy for Safe Motherhood in India.

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