Women Deliver e-news
Publisher/Organizer: ONE
Publication date: 20 October 2008
Language: English, French, Spanish
Women Deliver at ONE: What a Difference a Year Makes!
One year ago, on October 18-20, nearly 2,000 participants from 115 countries came together to call for increased political will and investment in maternal health. We all agreed: Invest in women – it pays! Activists, global health organizations, governments, and non-governmental groups gathered at this international conference in London to demand action to save the lives of women and newborns.
A year later, we have seen a dramatic growth in visibility and attention for maternal and newborn health in the global arena. There is new energy, commitments, and networks – and new money; maternal health is being highlighted as the “lost” Millennium Development Goal, with urgent calls for action and new promises coming from the United Nations, donors, and many civil society groups; and maternal mortality is being widely recognized as an unacceptable economic loss and an intolerable injustice. We still have a long way to go if we’re going to reach MDG 5 by 2015; but for the first time, the MDG 5 targets of reducing maternal mortality by 75% and achieving universal access to reproductive health for all are within reach – if the commitment can be sustained and if the necessary resources can be mobilized and invested in programs on the ground.
To mark the first anniversary and the achievements that have been made, we’re launching the Women Deliver BLOG. Come visit the site and tell us how you think action, interest, and momentum for maternal health has changed over the past year? Let us know what you have done to mobilize commitment and action, and what you’re planning for next year. How will you deliver for women?