RMNCH news 2008

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• World Population Report 2008 shows cultural sensitivity critical to successful development strategies and women's equality
  United Nations, New York, 12 November 2008 — Development strategies that are sensitive to cultural values can reduce harmful practices against women and promote human rights, including gender equality and women’s empowerment, affirms The State of World Population 2008 report from UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
• More than 2000 children die every day as a result of unintentional injury and at least half could be saved
  10 December 2008 Geneva/Hanoi/New York - More than 2000 children die every day as a result of an unintentional, or accidental injury and every year tens of millions more worldwide are taken to hospitals with injuries that often leave them with lifelong disabilities, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
• Global measles deaths drop by 74%: The Eastern Mediterranean region achieves measles goal three years early
  4 December 2008 Atlanta/Geneva/New York/Washington – Measles deaths worldwide fell by 74% between 2000 and 2007, from an estimated 750 000 to 197 000.
• Early HIV testing and treatment can save newborn lives, new U.N. report states
  1 December 2008 New York - To mark World AIDS Day, four United Nations agencies have issued a new report confirming that early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the prospects for survival of newborn babies exposed to HIV.
• Parliamentarians take action for maternal and newborn health
  26 November 2008 The Hague & Geneva - Every minute somewhere in the world a woman dies due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, amounting to more than half a million maternal deaths per year.
• Launch of Coalition for Women Deliver India
  24 November 2008 New Delhi -- To mark the first anniversary and the achievements that have been made since the Women Deliver conference in October 2007, a group of activists, policy makers, and grant making organizations met in New Delhi on 13th November 2008 to strengthen local partnerships for addressing high maternal mortality in India. The meeting was coordinated by Rema Nanda, Convening Chair for the group.
• WHO's 2008 Report and UNICEF call for return to primary health care
  14 October 2008, Almaty, Kazakhstan - The World Health Report 2008 titled Primary Health Care - now more than ever calls for a return to primary health care as a more holistic approach to health to overcome current inequities and inefficiencies in global health.
• Leaders' speak out on maternal, newborn & child health at UN
  29 September 2008 - Leaders' quotes at New York High-Level Event
• UN-backed scheme aims to reduce maternal mortality by boosting health systems
  25 September 2008 –The United Nations has teamed up with world leaders to launch a new initiative to strengthen health systems in an effort to reduce the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth, one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a 2015 deadline.
• Aberdeen's efforts to save mothers and babies
• UN Leaders' Joint statement on maternal and newborn health
  25 September 2008, New York - As world leaders gather for the High-Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we jointly pledge to intensify our support to countries to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5 To Improve Maternal Health — the MDG showing the least progress.
• WHO Director-General Roundtable with First Ladies and Women Leaders
  25 September 2008 - To re-emphasize WHO's leadership, solicit commitment and ensure appropriate WHO support to make a difference on maternal health in countries
• New UNICEF data shows downward trend in under-5 deaths
  12 September 2008 New York/Geneva - UNICEF released new figures that show the rate of deaths of children under five continued to decline in 2007.
• WHO spotlights maternal health before UN High Level Event
• The State of the Asia Pacific’s Children Report
  5 August 2008 - The State of Asia-Pacific’s Children 2008 highlights the need to position child survival at the heart of the Asia-Pacific region’s development and human rights agenda.
• Promoting breastfeeding: World Breastfeeding Week
  1 August 2008 - WHO actively promotes breastfeeding as the best source of nourishment for infants and young children.
• UNITAID, UNICEF and WHO announce massive scale-up in fight against HIV in mothers and children
  31 July 3008 - UNITAID, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced an infusion of $50 million aimed at halting mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
• UK Government aid contributes to dramatic decline in women dying in childbirth in Bangladesh and Nepal
  1 July 2008, United Kingdom - A new report from DFID shows that UK Government investments in improving maternal health in the world’s poorest countries have paid off.
• Christie's "Art for Health" Auction helps save mother and child lives
  18 June 2008, Rome - The showroom of Christie's Auction in Rome was the site of unusual and ground-breaking auction sale of 38 paintings, raising EUR 34,000 from the Art for Health collection.
• World Rotarians rise to the challenge—reducing child mortality
  17 June 2008, Los Angeles — Rotary International, a global volunteer organization of professional and business leaders, aims to focus its efforts on reducing child and maternal mortality in 2008-2009.
• Sarah Brown calls on midwives to play their part to end maternal deaths
  3 June 2008, Glasgow - Addressing the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) at their Triennial Congress being held in Glasgow, Sarah Brown called on them to play their part to end the tragedy of maternal deaths
• Family Care International accepts UN Population Award
  22 May 2008, UN Headquarters, New York - "2007 was an important year for women. I hope and expect that 2008 will be a momentous one." Those were the opening words of the speech at the UN Headquarters of Ann Starrs, President of Family Care International and Co-Chair of The Partnership, on the acceptance of the UN Population Award to her organization.
• WHO Director General hails progress in child survival, urges accelerated action for maternal, newborn health
  19 May 2008, Geneva - The health of women, newborns and young children were a priority focus of Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director General, during her keynote address to the 61st World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva.
• UN Secretary General, global health leaders call for investment in maternal health
  9 May 2008, New York - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and global health leaders meeting at the Carter Center in the United States city of Atlanta today agreed on measures to help make childbirth safer and tackle other challenges facing the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
• International Day of the Midwife
  5 May 2008, New York - Today, on the International Day of the Midwife, UNFPA pays tribute to the work of midwives around the world and calls for increased investments to train and retain midwives where they are most needed. Together with partners, UNFPA is starting a new programme to promote midwifery around the world.
• Heads of state launch Deliver Now for Women + Children in Tanzania
  22 April 2008 , Dar es Salaam - The global advocacy drive Deliver Now for Women + Children was initiated in Tanzania on 22 April by Tanzanian President Jakaya M. Kikwete and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
• Countdown commitment to act
  19 April 2008, Cape Town - Final delegates at the Countdown to 2015 Conference have committed to concerted, coordinated action to ensure that millions of lives of mothers, newborns and children are saved by the year 2015.
• Global Call to G8 leaders and other donors to champion maternal, newborn and child health
  19 April 2008, Cape Town - The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health salutes the proposal by Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to lead a drive aimed at getting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health back on track towards the 2015 target.
• 2008 Countdown Report launched
  16 April 2008, Cape Town - Countdown to 2015 MNCH: The 2008 Report - Tracking Progress in Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival has been launched today during a Joint IPU/Countdown press conference
• Countdown to 2015 calls for parliamentarians worldwide to legislate and budget for mothers and children
  15 April 2008, Cape Town - Speaking on behalf of Countdown partners, the Director of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Dr Francisco Songane called for parliamentarians to legislate to save some ten million women and children who die each year.
• The Lancet launches a Special Issue on Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health
  11 April 2008, London - Published to coincide with the The Countdown to 2015 Conference taking place in Cape Town on 17-19 April 2008, The Lancet has published a Countdown to 2015 special issue of The Lancet which shows the latest trends in life-saving interventions critical in reducing maternal and child mortality and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5.
• WRAI launches global campaign ‘Deliver Now for Women and children’ in India
  11 April 2008, Delhi - ‘Deliver Now for Women and Children”, a global campaign to reduce maternal and child death was launched today by the White Ribbon Alliance of India to mark ‘National Safe Motherhood Day’.
• Health Care Professional Associations Workshop, Burkina Faso
  26 March 2008, Ouagadougou - Health decision-makers joined more than 60 health professionals from several countries to open a regional workshop on their role in the saving of mothers an young children's lives.
• H.E. President Abdoulaye Wade
  13 March 2008, Dakar - Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has called on leaders in Islamic countries' to use their wealth to fight poverty and further health and development for mothers and children
• UK Under-Secretary of State for International Development: "2008 is a turning point for Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5"
  11 March 2008, London - "2008 is a turning point for Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5" stated Gillian Merron, UK Under-Secretary of state in opening a Conferende on "Harnessing UK expertise in maternal, newborn and child health to achieve MDGs 4 & 5.
• Seeking commitment from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) countries for MNCH
  6 March 2008, Dakar - In advance to the 11th Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference , an advocacy and awareness-raising workshop to reach journalists was organized in Dakar on 6 March.
• Global Forum calls for immediate action to resolve health worker crisis
  6 March 2008, Kampala - The first-ever Global Forum on Human Resources for Health called for immediate and sustained action to resolve the critical shortage of health workers around the world.
• Family Care International (FCI) wins 2008 UN Population Award
  5 March 2008, New York — A New York-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that helps save women’s lives in developing countries, Family Care International (FCI), has won this year’s United Nations Population Award.
• Mozambique launches initiative on mother and child health
  20 February 2008, Maputo – Mozambican President Armando Guebuza has launched his Presidential Initiative for the Health fo mothers and Children to speed up the reduction in maternal and infant mortality and promote family health care.
• UNFPA Scales Up Efforts to Save Millions of Women
  14 February 2008, 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.
• Integrated health strategies can save children's lives, says UNICEF
  22 January 2008, Geneva – Strategies that can help reduce the number of children who die before their fifth birthday were highlighted today, at the launch of UNICEF’s flagship report - The State of the World’s Children 2008: Child Survival – in Geneva.