The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854 www.pmnch.org

MNCH in the news: December 2010 UK's foreign aid strategy puts focus on safe abortion and ... The Guardian – 31 December 2010 The UK will spend an average of £740m a year on women's and children's health, totalling £4.4bn, an extra £2.1bn more than previous commitments. ... Health-Nigeria: Magnesium sulphate reduces maternal deaths Afrique en ligne – 30 December 2010 The Population Council in Nigeria said it is contributing in reducing maternal mortality in the country through the procurement and distribution of magnesium sulfate in health care facilities and training health-care providers on its use in the prevention and management of eclampsia and pre- eclampsia. Pickups Mobilize Bolivia's Maternal Healthcare Women’s E-news – 30 December 2010 Mobile health units are rolling clinicians into remote parts of Bolivia and helping to lower one of the world's worst rates of maternal mortality Azad convenes Health Ministers’ conference Express Buzz (India) – 30 December 2010 Concerned over the lukewarm response of few states on infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR), Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad has decided to convene a meeting of state Health Ministers conference in Hyderabad on January 12 Babies may gain extra weight on standard formula Reuters – 29 December 2010 In a study that followed 56 formula-fed infants, researchers found that babies on hypoallergenic formula stayed close to the "normal" weight-gain pattern seen among breastfed infants, while those on standard formula packed on pounds more quickly. Born with less vitamin D? You may be more likely to wheeze, catch cold LA Times – 28 December 2010 Even as a high-profile panel of experts recently disputed the conventional wisdom that Americans don't get enough vitamin D -- and that vitamin D deficiencies create greater risk of disease -- new research shows that newborns with low levels of vitamin D have higher rates of respiratory infection and wheezing than infants born with more vitamin D in their systems. More tiny babies surviving, but with problems Reuters – 28 December 2010 While still extraordinarily unlikely, the chances of survival are on the rise for infants born weighing less than 400 grams, or about the size of a potato, hints a new survey of the world's tiniest babies. DRPC, CMD tackle maternal mortality in Northern states Nigerian Compass – 28 December 2010 Twenty-one top civil servants from 13 northern states have embarked on efforts to address maternal health crisis threatening states in northern Nigeria.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

'50% city kids malnourished' Times of India – 28 December 2010 According to records maintained for a decade since 1997, 50.4% of children in the 3 to 6 age group from both urban and rural areas selected randomly are malnourished. Japan supports better health care model for mothers, children Saigon GP Daily – 28 December 2010 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MOH) signed off on a project to support heath care for mothers and children on December 27 in Hanoi. MoH Rewards 450 Musanze Mothers AllAfrica.com – 27 December 2010 The Ministry of Health, under the mother and child health programme, has given child care kits to over 450 mothers attached to Bisate and Shingiro health centers in Musanze district. Infant, maternal deaths on rise in city The Times of India – 27 December 2010 The Nagpur Municipal Corporation's (NMC) health department has woken up from its slumber after 1,157 infants and 61 mothers died in the city this year. Maternity nurses have more to learn about breastfeeding Nursing Times – 23 December 2010 More than 80% of maternity ward nurses could learn something new about breastfeeding after receiving training based on World Health Organisation and Unicef best practice, according to a study. India Fares Poorly on Breastfeeding Index The Wall Street Journal – 23 December 2010 India’s economic growth in the last two decades has not been accompanied by support for mothers who want to breastfeed their babies. That was the crux of a report released in New Delhi Wednesday by the International Baby Food Action Network, an international body of pediatricians, economists, mothers and local organizations dedicated to promoting breast feeding. Obama orders breastfeeding policy for federal workplace The Washington Post – 22 December 2010 President Obama is asking federal personnel officials to draft "appropriate workplace accommodations" for federal employees who are nursing mothers. The president issued a memo this week to the Office of Personnel Management asking that the new workplace accommodations be published when ready. Better maternity care stressed The Daily Mail – 22 December 2010 Punjab Minister Population Welfare Neelum Jabbar Ch said on Monday that the best approach to make the future generation healthy was to safe the child & mother from preventable diseases. According to a handout, Neelum has stressed upon the doctors and paramedical staff to create awareness among the mothers especially in rural folk regarding preventable diseases that can be avoided through protective measures.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

Gaps seen in pregnancy-related diabetes screening Reuters – 22 December 2010 Just over two-thirds of pregnant women undergo screening tests for gestational diabetes, according to a new analysis of nearly one million patient records. Inaceptable tasa de muertes maternas Clarin – 22 December 2010 Demasiados déficits en el sistema de salud producen el alto nivel de muertes maternas. La falta de vigilancia activa de este drama deriva en que no se sepa dónde es necesario introducir cambios ni que se tomen decisiones políticas efectivas. 80 percent of India’s infants are underfed, risk death Thaindian News – 22 December 2010 A global report released Wednesday has said that over 80 percent of infants born in India each year - 20 million out of a total of 26 million - are insufficiently fed and face the risk of disease and death. The report on “The State of Breastfeeding in 33 countries: 2010, Tracking Infant and Young Child Feeding Policies and Programmes Worldwide” said that globally out of 136 million babies born each year, only about 50 million practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and 86 million don’t. Abuses Cited in Enforcing China Policy of One Child The New York Times – 21 December 2010 Thirty years after it introduced some of the world’s most sweeping population-control measures, the Chinese government continues to use a variety of coercive family planning tactics, from financial penalties for households that violate the restrictions to the forced sterilization of women who have already had one child, according to a report issued by a human rights group. The report, published Tuesday by Chinese Human Rights Defenders, documents breadwinners who lose their jobs after the birth of a second child, campaigns that reward citizens for reporting on the reproductive secrets of their neighbors and expectant mothers dragged into operating rooms for late-term abortions. Can Maharashtra meet child mortality target by 2011? The Hindu – 20 December 2010 Four years ago, alarmed by the level of child mortality in Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court directed the State government to “ensure that by September 30, 2011, the infant mortality rate due to malnutrition is brought down to almost nil in tribal as well as non-tribal areas.” Just nine months left, the State is nowhere close to meeting this target. Taxa de mortalidade infantil cai 58% Bonde News – 20 December 2010 As crianças brasileiras estão vivenciando uma nova realidade. Avaliação do Ministério da Saúde mostra que a taxa da mortalidade na infância, entre menores de cinco anos, caiu 58% entre 1990 e 2008. Neste período, o índice reduziu de 53,7 óbitos a cada mil nascidos vivos para 22,8. O país deve antecipar em três anos o cumprimento do quarto Objetivo de Desenvolvimento do Milênio (ODM) – reduzir a mortalidade na infância para 17,9 óbitos por mil nascidos vivos. O prazo estabelecido pela Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) para que os países atinjam a meta é 2015, considerando 1990 o ano base para início da série temporal de comparação da tendência de cada um dos ODM.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

Highest Child Mortality Recorded in E Cape News Time – 19 December 2010 The Eastern Cape has recorded the highest number of baby deaths in South Africa. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed this in figures released in Parliament for the first half of 2010. The figures state that eight thousand babies under the age of one died in South African hospitals within that period. 'Child-to-Child Health' programe to be piloted for girls by SSA The Times of India – 17 December 2010 Fourteen-year-old girls will soon turn teachers for their younger mates at school. Working on the idea that children learn effectively from their peers, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is to pilot the Child-to-Child Health Programme' for classes VI, VII and VIII in January. The programme also aims to inculcate the idea of empowerment in young girls. UN accused of risking women and children's health The Guardian – 17 December 2010 Pregnant women are being given a drug that rich countries would no longer allow to prevent their HIV infection being transmitted at birth to their baby. Yet the United Nations still counts this as success - and in so doing, puts mothers and children's health at risk, says Aids-Free World. UNAIDS counters that change is happening, and we're going as fast as we can NEPAL - For Maternal Health, Go Door to Door IPS – 16 December 2010 For the last 17 years, Keshari Maharjan has been going door to door in the outskirts of the Nepali capital to tell people about the services available at health centres in their communities, as well as about how to prevent certain diseases. Harper to track world’s child, maternal health aid pledges The Globe and Mail – 16 December 2010 Just months after the United Nations dealt Stephen Harper a stinging blow by rejecting Canada’s bid for the Security Council, the Prime Minister is signing up for UN duty again, to oversee a commission asked to track the world’s pledges to improve children and women’s health. AFGHANISTAN: Risky road to hospital IRIN News – 16 December 2010 Afghanistan has some of the worst maternal health indicators in the world as 1,600 out of every 100,000 women die during childbirth (about 48,000 deaths annually), according to aid agencies. Most of the deaths could be prevented if women reached a healthcare centre on time, health specialists say. Healthcare delivery: Lanka on top Daily Mirror – 15 December 2010 Sri Lanka has once again emerged as the most successful country in South Asia in healthcare delivery, recording extremely high indicators in Infant Mortality, Life Expectancy and Maternal Mortality, ‘The State of World Population 2010’ (Report) issued by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said yesterday.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

New SA government report slams maternal deaths and poverty Times Live – 15 December 2010 South Africa is winning the war on want in some areas, but failing badly in terms of child and maternal health and in the abolition of poverty, a new government report shows. Maternal mortality rate can be reduced Sowetan – 15 December 2010 SOUTH Africa's high maternal mortality rate is mostly attributable to preventable causes, according to the 2010 South African Health Review (SAHR). Fighting FGM requires more than just legislation Daily Monitor – 15 December 2010 The fight against female genital mutilation using the law seems to be faltering. The dreadful practice which can alter, or injure female genital organs, can also lead to severe bleeding, problems when urinating, potential childbirth complications and newborn deaths. For this, FGM is considered a violation of the human rights of girls and women. In Uganda, the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act is meant to put this horrendous practice on check. However, pegging heavily on the law to end FGM is seemingly an uphill task. Taxa de mortalidade na infância cai 58% no Brasil Jornal dia dia – 15 December 2010 Nordeste tem queda acima do índice nacional; foco das ações continuará nesta região e na Amazônia Legal. Investimento triplica, passando de R$ 110 milhões para R$ 339 milhões. As crianças brasileiras estão vivenciando uma nova realidade. Avaliação do Ministério da Saúde mostra que a taxa da mortalidade na infância, entre menores de cinco anos, caiu 58% entre 1990 e 2008. FGM: We need to change people’s attitudes New Vision – 15 December 2010 ACCORDING to the World Health Organisation, about three million girls in Africa are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM) annually. Already 92 million girls aged 10 years and above are estimated to have undergone the practice. In Uganda, FGM is practised in Kapchorwa, Kween and Bukwo districts in the Sebei region. FGM leads to several complications such as increased risk of complications during child birth.¨ Kids who die hungry Sowetan – 14 December 2010 AT LEAST a third of South African children who died in 2007 were severely malnourished and a further 30percent were underweight for their age, while on average more than half were known or suspected to have been HIV infected. Obesidad infantil, epidemia del siglo XXI El Almeria – 14 December 2010 SABÍAS que la obesidad es una enfermedad crónica? ¿Sabías que altera la salud de quien la padece y predispone a la aparición de otros trastornos crónicos como la hipertensión, la diabetes, o colesterol elevado? La obesidad es una enfermedad seria, y cuando se da entre los niños, éstos sufren desde pequeños y durante muchos años sus consecuencias físicas, metabólicas, psicológicas y sociales. Una situación que se ve reflejada no sólo en su salud sino también en su estado de ánimo. La obesidad infantil es una bomba de relojería.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

Here is another perspective of fighting FGM Daily Monitor – 14 December 2010 According to the World Health Organisation, about three million girls in Africa are at risk of undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) annually and already, 92 million girls of 10 years and above are estimated to have undergone the practice. In Uganda, it’s practiced in the Sebei region. FGM involves all procedures aimed at partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. It’s vital to stress that FGM has no single health benefit for girls and women who undergo it. Instead, it has several complications: increased risk of child birth complications associated with new born deaths, need for surgeries to allow sexual intercourse and child birth by cutting again to create an opening and after birth, etc. Rate of premature births on the rise in high-stress cities Xinhua – 14 December 2010 Seven-month-old Cheng Jixiang, four months premature, is still hooked up to life-saving equipment but he's luckier than his twin sister who died two months ago. He's now at home after receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other treatment while in a hospital incubator. And there's feeding and medication. All of this costs thousands of yuan and surgery will come later when he is stronger, funded by a charity, Premature Baby Aid Fund. New Incubator Could Save Millions Of Babies Sky News – 14 December 2010 A new low-tech baby incubator that costs just £30 could save millions of lives around the world. The infant warmer is designed to be used in developing countries, where traditional incubators cost too much at around £15,000. It looks like a snug sleeping bag with pouch for a heat pack. Rajan Patel of the not-for-profit company Embrace Global told Sky News: "It has the potential of saving millions of babies. Govt slow in curbing maternal death New Vision – 13 December 2010 INADEQUATE quality and number of health workers, poor roads, inadequate power supply and high illiteracy levels are some of the major causes of maternal death in Uganda. This was revealed by State minister for Finance, Ephraim Kamuntu while Speaking at the launch of the Millennium Development Goals at Hotel African recently. Hoping for a safe delivery of UN promises on maternal health The Guardian – 13 December 2010 There is reason to be optimistic that the UN's strategy to save the lives of 16 million women and children during childbirth by 2015 could be achieved. Ask any expectant parent and you'll often hear that while pregnancy is a cause of much joy and celebration, the process of childbirth and delivery itself causes anxiety. These concerns are not without some basis, as the risks of complications for both mother and baby peak around this time. The risk, though, is relative. According a report published earlier this year by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef, the UN Population Fund and the World Bank, a woman in Sierra Leone faces a one in 21 risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth. By comparison, the risk of maternal mortality for a British woman is one in 4,700.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

Keeping the Promise to Save African Women AllAfrica.com – 12 December 2010 According to statistics, roughly 5.5 million unsafe abortions are performed annually in Africa and the deaths from the dangerous exercise account for approximately 14 per cent of all maternal deaths in the region. Malnutrition Crisis | Mumbai’s silent pangs LiveMint.com – 12 December 2010 Thousands of children in slums are falling through the cracks of a govt scheme meant to prevent malnutrition … The World Health Organization classifies a girl who at one weighs less than 6.3kg and measures less than 66.3cm as “severely malnourished”, a definition that the Indian government also uses. Diseases we can stop, but don't Los Angeles Times – 12 December 2010 Op/Ed: The Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health gives short shrift to the fight against seven major neglected tropical diseases. . . . Some of the world's most glaring health problems affecting impoverished girls and women are also some of the easiest to address. The fact that we consistently fail to do so is puzzling. Child wellbeing in Africa: the true wealth of nations The Lancet – 11 December 2010 The logic is simple: investing in children is an investment in tomorrow's peace, stability, security, democracy, and sustainable development. And nowhere in the world is the case for investment in children as clear-cut and powerful as it is in Africa—a continent so often seen as synonymous with conflict, instability, and poverty. But although governments are never short of good words to say about advancing children's wellbeing, how committed are they in practice? This is the fundamental question posed by The African Child Policy Forum in The African Report on Child Wellbeing 2011: Budgeting for Children. The decision to abandon FGM has to come from the community New Vision – 10 December 2010 TUESDAY, November 30, marked Sabiny Cultural Day. It also marked the beginning of something tantamount to torture – female genital mutilation (FGM) season. During the month of December, each night, after the stroke of midnight, young Sabiny girls are taken from their homes and subjected to this excruciatingly painful act. They have no choice and the majority live in fear and dread this moment in their lives. Ministry warns providers to comply with abortion laws The Phnom Penh Post – 10 December 2010 THE Health Ministry has issued a directive warning state and private health officials that they will face legal action for failing to observe abortion laws, amid concerns that a high number of women are continuing to use unsafe services. The notice, signed by Health Minister Mam Bun Heng and released Wednesday evening, states that the ministry will take “strong measures” to prosecute service providers who do not comply with the 1997 Law on Abortion.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

Maternal health targets in sight, despite recent spike in deaths Stabroek News – 10 December 2010 Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said yesterday that Guyana is still on pace to reach its MDG target in maternal health, but he observed that the country suffered a major setback due to “a rough four months” this year. DoH asks hospitals, mothers to follow new birth-giving protocol called 'Unang Yakap' Manila Bulletin – 10 December 2010 The Department of Health (DoH) on Friday asked state and private hospitals nationwide as well as Filipino mothers to follow the new birth-giving protocol to keep up with the government’s Medium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing childhood mortality by two-thirds to just six per 1,000 live births by 2015. How to address obstetric fistula in Nigeria, by experts The Guardian – 9 December 2010 STAKEHOLDERS have made strategic recommendations on how to reduce the incidence of obstetric fistula in the country. Vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) is a subtype of female urogenital fistula (UGF). VVF is an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. It is often caused by childbirth (in which case it is known as an obstetric fistula), when a prolonged labour presses the unborn child tightly against the pelvis, cutting off blood flow to the vesico-vaginal wall. Maternity and reproductive care receive assistance Radio Fiji – 9 December 2010 The maternity and reproductive care departments within the health ministry received a boost today with assistance from development partners. The assistance includes chairs for antenatal mothers, medical equipment, a vehicle and pamphlets on reproductive health. Una línea pública, que permite ampliar derechos Pagina/12 – 9 December 2010 Comenzaremos con evidencias. La Organización Mundial de la Salud ha calculado que "más de 1.500 mujeres y niñas mueren por día como resultado de complicaciones prevenibles que ocurren antes, durante y después del embarazo y parto, y que a nivel global, la mortalidad materna es la principal causa de muerte en mujeres y niñas en edad reproductiva, que la mortalidad y la morbilidad maternas prevenibles son retos para la salud, el desarrollo y los derechos humanos". (Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas, Concejo de Derechos Humanos, 2009). SENEGAL - Campaña contra mortalidad materna carece de fondos IPSnoticias.net – 9 December 2010 El gobierno de Senegal no podrá mejorar la salud materna ni reducir la mortalidad infantil por la escasez de centros de salud, la mala calidad de la atención en los existentes y, en especial, la falta de recursos para el programa Bajenu Gox. Safe motherhood should be more than a concept Daily Monitor – 9 December 2010 … Uganda being one of the countries with a high fertility rate with every woman producing an average of seven children according to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey Report 2006, there is urgent need to extend services nearer to the people, especially reproductive health services...

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

5,000 kids below 5 years severely malnourished: Report Daily News & Analysis (DNAIndia.com) – 9 December 2010 Of the 2.67 lakh malnourished children below the age of five in the district, about 5,000 are severely malnourished. The zilla parishad’s (ZP) woman and child welfare department has prepared a report on the issue. Editorial: Education will eliminate FGM The Observer – 8 December 2010 Female genital mutilation continues unabated in Sebei even after Parliament enacted a law making the practice illegal. The ritual, normally held in December, involves cutting off of a girl’s clitoris as a rite of passage. The cruel and dehumanising character of female circumcision, as it is sometimes called, had made it a campaign target by civil society organisations for a long time, until late last year when a private member’s bill resulted in a law outlawing it. South Africa: Nation Fails to Prevent Maternal Deaths AllAfrica.com – 8 December 2010 South Africa's high maternal mortality rate is mostly attributable to preventable causes, according to the 2010 South African Health Review (SAHR). One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is to reduce the deaths of mothers by 2015, but until now South Africa has failed to do so. SENEGAL - Funding Could Weaken Campaign Against Maternal Mortality IPSNews.net – 8 December 2010 Senegal's efforts to improve maternal health and reduce child mortality are hampered by a lack of health centres and poor care in those that do exist. But the government faces a major financial hurdle in financing the Bajenu Gox initiative - a community health programme intended to address this. Pregnant mothers walk 7km to clinic The Citizen Daily – 6 December 2010 Available statistics shows that more than 50 percent of pregnant women in Tandahimba district deliver their babied at home, despite the government’s efforts to build some 34 health service facilities in the area. Sh2b for community health plan Capital FM – 6 December 2010 The Kenyan government has set aside Sh2 billion to support community health strategies through the procurement of motorcycles and bicycles for community extension health workers and community health workers respectively. … A recent report indicated that Kenya is currently losing more than 7,000 women annually, a rate of 21 daily, to pregnancy related complications. … More than half of Kenyan women prefer to deliver at home under the care of unskilled attendants, hence the high number of deaths. Debate sobre la mujer, “más allá del aborto” ABC Digital – 6 December 2010 La presidenta de la entidad ONU Mujeres, Michelle Bachelet, afirmó que las políticas de salud femeninas deben ir más allá del tema del aborto, y deben centrarse en la planificación familiar y la educación sexual, en una entrevista publicada ayer en el diario O Estado.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

The law alone will not stop FGM New Vision – 6 December 2010 SABINY women are flocking to Kenya to be circumcised. They are doing this because the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act that was passed into law by Parliament in June makes the practice a crime in Uganda. Offenders face jail terms ranging from five to 10 years or life imprisonment upon conviction. FGM is internationally recognised as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. FGM has no health benefits for girls and women. Instead it can cause severe bleeding and problems when passing urine and later, childbirth complications and death of newborns. Worrying rise in caesareans Cyprus Mail – 5 December 2010 A LACK of midwives has been cited as one of the main reasons for the constant rise in caesareans, with latest figures showing that well over half of Cypriot women either opt out of giving birth naturally or are encouraged to do so. According to Niki Panagiotou, the president of the Cyprus Association of Midwives and Nurses’ midwifery committee, a whopping 44.1 per cent of women giving birth underwent c-sections in state hospitals up until the end of October this year, an increase of around 12 per cent since 2007. The figures are even higher in the private sector, standing at 57.4 per cent in 2007. UBC gets Gates Foundation grant to prevent maternal deaths Vancouver Sun – 4 December 2010 The University of B.C. has received a $7-million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to test new ways to prevent pre-eclampsia -- the second leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Socio-cultural factors influencing fertility in Bangladesh Daily Times – 3 December 2010 MOST demographic surveys in Bangladesh consistently report that a large majority of women of reproductive age do not want any more children after the initial few births. Survey findings also show that these women do not practice family planning. These findings are often dismissed on the ground that they do not capture the realities of the situation. It is contended here that they are valid, but also inadequate. Mothers encouraged to breastfeed Bua News – 3 December 2010 KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has called on mothers to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of their baby's life. The call was made as the province prepares to roll out the Infant and Young Child Feeding policy from 1 January 2011. First announced by the World Health Organisation in 2010, the policy aims to improve the survival of HIV-free infants born to mothers known to be HIV positive. ‘Universal access to contraception will check unsafe abortion’ Nigerian Compass – 2 December 2010 Sometimes, the stories of young girls who lose their lives in the course of illegal abortion sound like fairy tales, but heightened media reports of these tragedies in our environment is a proof that it is some Nigerian women that pay the price of unsafe abortion.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

Reducing Death of Expectant Mothers' Campaign in Buchanan Daily Observer – 2 December 2010 The Liberian Government, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has officially launched the Campaign for the Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Liberia (CAMML). The nationwide campaign which gears to dramatically reduce women from dying while given birth was launched on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. Pregnancy-related deaths rise in the U.S. Reuters – 2 December 2010 While it remains rare for a woman in the U.S. to die from pregnancy complications, the national rate of pregnancy-related deaths appears to be on the upswing, a new government study finds. Combatir la mortalidad materna e infantil Astericos TV – 2 December 2010 La Alianza para la Salud de la Madre, Recién Nacido y el Niño (ASUMEN) presentó un plan de acción con seis propuestas de corto, mediano y largo plazo tendientes a mejorar la calidad de vida de mujeres, bebés y niños argentinos. En este sentido, ASUMEN trabaja activamente para ayudar a combatir los altos índices de mortalidad materna y para ayudar a lograr un descenso pronunciado de la mortalidad infantil en respuesta a las estadísticas vitales registradas en el país durante el año pasado. KZN breastfeeding gets Unicef thumbs up Times Live – 2 December 2010 Unicef on Thursday welcomed a decision by Kwazulu-Natal's department of health to promote breastfeeding amongst all mothers, including HIV positive ones. Ugandan women flock to Kenya for mutilation New Vision – 1 December 2010 As the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act passed by Parliament makes the practice harder to carry out in Uganda, more Sabiny women are flocking to Kenya to get cut, an official has revealed. Lillian Plapan, the director of Setat Women’s Organisation, an anti-FGM civil society group in West Pokot district in Kenya, told the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, that the female candidates seek the services of Kenyan surgeons, who secretly perform the ritual at night. Campaign to fight female genital mutilation launched in Sebei New Vision – 1 December 2010 As a way of stepping up the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) during the season that starts today, the Reproductive Education and Community Health organisation, an NGO spearheading the campaign against the practice, has trained over 300 community advocates and data collectors in Sebei sub-region. RWANDA: Maternal and child health on the right track IRIN News – 1 December 2010 In a region with some of the world’s worst indicators for maternal and child mortality, Rwanda is working hard to ensure mothers and their children have access to life-saving medical interventions.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

One in five woman in Ireland drink while pregnant Irish Central – 1 December 2010 A new study has shown by 20 percent of woman drank while pregnant and woman with the highest levels of education are most likely to consume alcohol during pregnancy. Unos 1,6 millones de niños mueren cada año de neumonía, principal causa de mortalidad infantil en el mundo Europa Press – 1 December 2010 Cerca de 1,6 millones de niños menores de cinco años mueren cada año de neumonía, una enfermedad que causa el 18 por ciento de los fallecimientos de estos menores y que se ha convertido así en la principal causa individual de mortalidad infantil en todo el mundo, por encima del sida, la malaria y el sarampión juntos. Breast milk sharing? Trend worries FDA. Los Angeles Times – 1 December 2010 U.S. health officials are cautioning new parents about sharing breast milk as a growing number of women are using social networking and other websites to share their milk instead of turning to infant formula. 18,000 children infected due to transmission from mothers Hindustan Times – 1 December 2010 According to the 2009 National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) report, 18,000 children were infected with HIV due to transmission from their HIV-positive mothers. According to Peoples’ Health Organisation, an NGO, several of these infections could have been prevented had proper precautions been taken while dealing with the HIV-positive pregnant women.

More action needed to prevent AIDS in children, treat those infected: UN officials Xinhua – 1 December 2010 Though estimable progress has been made towards achieving an AIDS-free generation of children, there is still more work to be done, high-level UN officials said here Tuesday. These officials spoke at the launch of "Children and AIDS: Fifth Stocktaking Report 2010," an evaluation of progress towards preventing and treating AIDS in children authored by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in conjunction with other UN agencies.

No government aid for children with AIDS NDTV – 1 December 2010 Even as World AIDS Day is being observed today with slogans reiterating commitment to mitigate the impact of HIV-AIDS, a question mark hangs over the future of thousands of affected and infected children.

Cómo reducir la mortalidad Pagina/12 – 1 December 2010 Una nueva entidad de entidades –que incluye a la Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría, la Academia Nacional de Medicina, la Organización Panamericana de la Salud y otras organizaciones– propuso instaurar una asignación universal para embarazadas y puérperas, a semejanza de la Asignación Universal por Hijo, que otorgará a estas mujeres los medios para acercarse al sistema de salud ...

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organization

Room V103, 20 avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, tel: +41 22 791 2595 fax: +41 22 791 5854

www.pmnch.org

Proponen debatir el aborto desde la perspectiva de la salud Diario de Madryn – 1 December 2010 …El aborto, problemática de salud pública En 2007 se presentó el proyecto de ley para la despenalización y legalización del aborto en el Congreso Nacional, ya que en países donde las mujeres tienen acceso al aborto legal, el riesgo de muerte como consecuencia del aborto es de 1 cada 100 mil; mientras que en países donde es ilegal es de entre 100 y 1000 cada 100 mil mujeres, según datos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud.