LSHTM launches MARCH, the new Centre for Maternal, Reproductive + Child Health
17 SEPTEMBER 2009 | LONDON - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has launched a new initiative – the MARCH Centre – which brings together experts in all aspects of the health of pregnant and nursing women and their babies.
Poor maternal, reproductive and child health are major contributors to ill-health worldwide. It leads to over 13 million deaths each year, many of which are preventable.
MARCH brings together researchers, students and practitioners to address these problems, conducting studies in low, middle and high income countries. The School's world-renowned researchers have strengths in epidemiology, intervention studies and health economics and policy.
The launch was welcomed by the Deputy General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, Louise Silverton, who sees the new group as being of major importance to the health of mothers and their babies around the world. Richard Horton, the Chief Editor of The Lancet, applauded the School for its foresight and continued commitment to maternal and child health.
MARCH will co-ordinate over 80 multi-disciplinary research studies covering themes including: family planning, infertility, growth and development during pregnancy, maternal morbidity, newborn health, nutrition, health systems and treatment for infectious disease in pregnancy and early life.
MARCH consolidates research and training by:
- Building research partnerships throughout the world
- Supporting communication networks and providing a coordinating function among researchers
- Strengthening applications for research funding in maternal, reproductive and child health
- Facilitating new teaching and training initiatives
MARCH brings together experts in all fields of maternal and child health including: Epidemiology, Statistics, Demographics, Genetics, Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, Medical History, Immunology, Policy Analysis, Nutrition, Cell Biology, Public Health, International Development, Molecular Biology. The coordinators of MARCH are Professor Pat Doyle and Professor Oona Campbell.