Archive: Feb 2017

USAID reports that there are 18 million fewer health professionals in the world than what is needed, and the largest shortages are in parts of Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa. This implies that large numbers of women do not have access to skilled health…

Antenatal care (ANC) coverage has expanded over the last fifteen years: The proportion of women in developing countries receiving at least one ANC visit increased from 64% in 1990 to 83% in 2014. While this increase in utilization is a step in the right…

Using an adapted version of the World Health Organization governance actions, the Partnership for Transforming the Health System II Project illustrates the role of governance in improving the quality of maternal care by increasing access to skilled birth…

Pregnant women in South Africa who live in poor communities are more likely to consider or attempt suicide than the general population, but many of them do not have diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorders. Their suicide risk is associated with lower…

Pakistan is among the ten countries that comprised 58% of the global maternal deaths reported in 2013. Many births and deaths are not registered, and information on the cause of death is often unknown. As a result, maternal mortality estimates for…

We are excited to announce the upcoming policy dialogue, "Midwives' Voices, Midwives' Realities: The Largest Global Survey of Midwives and What It Means for Maternal and Newborn Health." The event will take place at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.…

Urbanization is changing the face of poverty and marginalization, and the maternal and newborn health field needs to change too, said a panel of experts at the Wilson Center on January 24. The so-called “urban advantage”—the idea that one can expect…

The Barcelona Institute for Global Health, in partnership with the World Bank Group, recently released a report titled, “Inequalities in women’s and girls’ health opportunities and outcomes: A report from sub-Saharan Africa." The report analyzes the…

Meeting the sexual, reproductive and maternal health needs of all women—including those among the nearly 64 million people who are currently displaced worldwide due to armed conflict, natural disasters or other crises—is crucial to achieving the…

Nigeria has one of the highest rates of maternal death in the world. The risks are compounded for women and girls living through humanitarian crises, which undermine community support mechanisms and limit access to health facilities. UNFPA is working to…