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Saving Women and Children’s Lives in India
Date Published: 21 September 2008 Document Type: Briefs & Fact Sheets Issue: Advocacy & Policy, Capacity Building, Family Planning & Reproductive Health, Social Mobilization, Training, Women’s Rights Languages: English Purchase Method: Download |
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More women in India die during pregnancy and childbirth than in any other country in the world, a number that accounts for 20 percent of the world’s maternal deaths. Sadly, the majority of these deaths can be prevented though access to skilled attendants and emergency obstetric care facilities and supplies. The high rates of maternal death, coupled with inadequate health services and poor nutrition, also contribute to high numbers of infant and child mortality. At least two-thirds of the 1.5 million children in India who die before their first birthday could be saved through simple, low-cost interventions. With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a new consortium of global organizations is working to save the lives of women and children in India by building capacity within the country to improve policies, programs and resources in the areas of maternal, neonatal and child health, and nutrition. The Maternal and Child Health Sustainable Technical Assistance and Research (MCH-STAR) program is a five-year, $13.8 million initiative that will strengthen the ability of Indian institutions to provide technical leadership through technical assistance, policy analyses, advocacy and research within the country.