Maternal Health News and Research

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New strategy, more funding needed to meet maternal, child health MDGs

"Dozens of countries are unlikely to meet" the Millennium Development Goal targets related to maternal and child health without a new strategy and an additional $20 billion each year, according to a report released Tuesday, the Canadian Press reports (Lederer, 4/14).

15 Apr 2010

UNC Charlotte researcher improves lives of families and children affected by birth defects

Birth defects remain a leading cause of death in the first year of life. According to the March of Dimes, every 3 to 4 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States. About 1 in every 33 infants is affected by birth defects.

8 Apr 2010

FDA alerts consumers on false and misleading claims about lipodissolve

It's a tempting premise: Get a series of drug injections and see pockets of fat on your body go away for good.

8 Apr 2010

Toronto Star examines cost of fighting maternal mortality, Canada's G8 initiative

Experts say that fighting maternal mortality will cost the world a total of $24 billion annually, or an additional $12 billion per year, the Toronto Star writes in an article about Canada's G8 maternal and child health initiative and a maternal health conference that is being planned ahead of the G8 meeting.

7 Apr 2010

Foreign Minister says Canada's G8 maternal, child health plan will not include abortion

At this summer's G8 meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will move forward with his "'signature initiative' on maternal and children's health, despite disagreements with the United States and Britain over funding for abortion in the developing world, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon says," the Globe and Mail reports (McCarthy, 4/4).

6 Apr 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

"Achieving the [Millennium Development Goal] MDG 4 target of reducing newborn and child mortality will require concerted efforts to scale up evidence-based interventions, especially community-based preventive and therapeutic strategies in primary care," according to a Lancet comment that reflects on the challenges associated with developing "the appropriate mix of strategies" to improve maternal health.

3 Apr 2010

Also in Global Health News: HIV/AIDS in Central Asia; Nigeria MDGs; Aid transparency; Maternal health in Peru

Aljazerra.net reports on the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout Central Asia along drug routes in the region. The piece examines the lack of information available to the people of Central Asia about HIV prevention strategies and a recent effort among a group of Muslim imams in Tajikistan to educate people about the disease (Andersen, 3/31).

1 Apr 2010

Family planning, access to safe, legal abortion key to maternal, child health, U.S. Sec. of State says

Following a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from G8 countries in Quebec on Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton "appeared at odds … with [Canadian] Prime Minister Stephen Harper's G8 initiative on maternal and child health, saying family planning, contraception and access to legal, safe abortions were vital elements of maternal health care," Canwest News Service/Ottawa Citizen report (O'Neill, 3/31).

1 Apr 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

"Sub-Saharan Africa is affected by a disproportionately high prevalence of both HIV infection and food scarcity," write the authors of an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article on the relationship between malnutrition and the progression of HIV/AIDS. "Underweight individuals will continue to represent a significant proportion of patients who present for HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa.

27 Mar 2010

Human rights organization calls for national action to combat rising pregnancy-related complications

Amnesty International today pointed to new government figures showing the highest-ever rate of Caesarean sections as more evidence the United States needs to adopt guidelines for the use of obstetric procedures to begin reversing rising pregnancy complications and maternal deaths.

26 Mar 2010

New study investigates effects of influenza among pregnant women

This spring, pregnant women in Bergen and Oslo will be invited to take part in the Norwegian Influenza Study (NorFlu). The aim is to find out how influenza in pregnancy affects maternal health and childhood development. NorFlu will also study any implications of vaccination during pregnancy.

25 Mar 2010

Passage of health insurance reforms should spur action to ensure quality maternal care

Now that health insurance reform legislation has passed, President Obama and Congress must urgently turn their attention to ensuring quality maternal care for every American woman to reduce rising deaths and complications during pregnancy and childbirth, Amnesty International said today.

23 Mar 2010

Report highlights gains in malaria fight, documents need for more funding

Global funding for efforts to fight malaria, which stood at $2 billion at the end of 2009, have "helped to contain the disease," but is "far short of the estimated $6 billion required annually to expand" efforts to fight it, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership said on Thursday, Reuters reports. The statements came as the partnership released a report (.pdf) that examined a decade's worth of global funding for malaria and its impact on fighting the disease (Hardach, 3/18).

20 Mar 2010

Canadian Prime Minister says he's open to including contraception in G8 plan for improving maternal, child health

"Facing a squall of condemnation from aid groups and opposition politicians," following statements by Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon that Canada's G8 maternal and child health initiative would not include family planning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper "disavowed his foreign minister Thursday, promising that the federal government would include contraception programs in its maternal-health foreign-aid initiative," the Globe and Mail reports.

20 Mar 2010

Family planning will not be included in Canada's G8 maternal health initiative, Foreign Minister says

"Canada's 'signature' initiative at June's G8 summit - a strategy to improve the health of mothers and young children in poor countries" will not include family planning programs, Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said on Tuesday, the Globe and Mail reports. Cannon said the initiative "does not deal in any way, shape or form with family planning. Indeed, the purpose of this is to be able to save lives."

18 Mar 2010

More focus on reaching MDGs needed, development officials say

During a conference in London Thursday, development officials urged world leaders to "accelerate efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 and [said] rich countries must make good on promises to boost aid to poorer nations," Reuters AlertNet reports.

15 Mar 2010

Louisiana ranks 46th on maternal mortality, records 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Louisiana is 46th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Report shows District of Columbia stands 51st on maternal mortality ranking

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that the District of Columbia is 51st on a maternal mortality ranking, with 34.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Maternal health care crisis in the U.S.: 15.8% of women in Georgia receive delayed or no prenatal care

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Georgia is 50th on a maternal mortality ranking, with 20.5 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Pregnancy-related deaths increase in Michigan, Amnesty International report

In releasing a new report on maternal health nationwide, Amnesty International today revealed that flaws and shocking disparities in maternal health care that the government is ignoring lead to two to three women dying daily in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, with half of these deaths believed preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A state-by-state examination shows that Michigan is 42nd on a maternal mortality ranking, with 13.6 deaths per 100,000 live births.

12 Mar 2010

Maternal Health News and Research

New strategy, more funding needed to meet maternal, child health MDGs

UNC Charlotte researcher improves lives of families and children affected by birth defects

FDA alerts consumers on false and misleading claims about lipodissolve

Toronto Star examines cost of fighting maternal mortality, Canada's G8 initiative

Foreign Minister says Canada's G8 maternal, child health plan will not include abortion

Recent releases in Global Health

Also in Global Health News: HIV/AIDS in Central Asia; Nigeria MDGs; Aid transparency; Maternal health in Peru

Family planning, access to safe, legal abortion key to maternal, child health, U.S. Sec. of State says

Recent releases in Global Health

Human rights organization calls for national action to combat rising pregnancy-related complications

New study investigates effects of influenza among pregnant women

Passage of health insurance reforms should spur action to ensure quality maternal care

Report highlights gains in malaria fight, documents need for more funding

Canadian Prime Minister says he's open to including contraception in G8 plan for improving maternal, child health

Family planning will not be included in Canada's G8 maternal health initiative, Foreign Minister says

More focus on reaching MDGs needed, development officials say

Louisiana ranks 46th on maternal mortality, records 15.9 deaths per 100,000 live births

Report shows District of Columbia stands 51st on maternal mortality ranking

Maternal health care crisis in the U.S.: 15.8% of women in Georgia receive delayed or no prenatal care

Pregnancy-related deaths increase in Michigan, Amnesty International report

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