•Every two minutes, a woman dies of pregnancy-related complications

•Ninety-nine per cent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries

•most could have been prevented with proven interventions.

Causes of Mortality

Delay in seeking care

Delay in reaching care

Delay in receiving care

•Pre-conceptually•Ante-natally•During childbirth•Postnatally

““When we deliver for every woman and every child,

we will advance a better life for all people

around the world”. (U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon , 2011)

“Representation by women in parliament is at an all-time high,

but falls shamefully short of parity” (UN, 2011)

Globally only 19% of political

decision making positions are

held by women

Department for international

Development Framework:

By 2015:

•Save 50,000 mothers & 250,000 newborns•Prevent 5 million unintended pregnancies•support 2 million safe deliveries•10 million women using modern family planning•(4 pillars of action) Empower women,

remove barriers, Expand quality services,

Increase accountability

Millennium development goal 5How are we doing?:

Only 10 countries are considered to be “on track”

to meet MDG 5.

"Women are not

dying of diseases we

can't treat. ... They are dying

because societies have yet to make the

decision that their lives are worth saving." (Mahmoud Fathalla, past president of the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

• The poorer, suffer more?

• Population changes?

• International fragmented response?

• Lack of commitment?

• Short cuts?

• Lack of a united front?

• Is it because ‘it is women’?

Why are we failing? “Achieving the MDGs depends so much on women’s empowermentand equal access by women to education, work, health care and decision-making - let us not relent until all the MDGshave been attained.” Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General, United Nations (2012)

• Educates• Empowers• Improves healthcare

access• Trains local midwives

• Provides resources 

www.maternityworldwide.org

• The maternal mortality ratio in Ethiopia is 676 for every 100,000 births. (UN, WHO)

• Only 51% of hospitals are qualified as offering fully equipped, comprehensive care. (UNFPA, 2012 )

• Ethiopia uses only 5.7 percent of its GDP on health

• 90% of women birth at home • Ethiopia is ranked 174 of 187 in the UN

Human Development health Index (UNDP 2012)

Ongoing improvements

Expanding projects

Uganda

Malawi

Research:

CRADLE

The Safe Place of

Birth Project

Join in with Muffins for Midwives & the Grand Draw!Maternity Worldwide

(downstairs stand 82)

• The Government of Ethiopia, with the support of several donors, has invested heavily in Health Extension Workers. (currently 31,000)

• $1.5 billion Gates Foundation investment• Ethiopia's government have built physical

and human resource capacity.• Maternity care is now free at the point of

delivery • THIS IS FRAGILE

•Full Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) - Rio+20  •Will major powers sign up?•Why are targets not achieved?

•Promises made must be promises kept•Demand accountability

Malawi's first female president

(7th April, 2012 –present)

Africa's second

female president.

Joyce Banda

•£5 to provide modern •contraception•£45 to treat severe

eclampsia & emergency

newborn care•£17.50 To manage an

obstructed labour•£22 to treat maternal sepsis

•(Source: WHO-CHOICE published in the BMJ, 2005)