Mothers Day Every Day - The Campaign for Healthy Moms and Newborns :: The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood

Dear Friends:

Thank you for joining the Mothers Day Every Day campaign and demonstrating your commitment to improving maternal health for millions of women. We wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a number of exciting events that have happened in recent weeks.

We joined the global chorus of voices calling on G8 leaders - with our appeal going to President Obama - to invest in solutions proven to save the lives of women and newborns. The next week we took our message to Capitol Hill. And, thanks to maternal health champions in Congress and the Administration, our call for the US to increase assistance to train and deploy health workers with midwifery skills in developing.

Quoting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon who said "In the 21st century, no woman should have to give her life to give life." and noting "In developing nations, more than a third of all births are unattended by any skilled healthcare worker, leaving women vulnerable to death and injury from problems that would be relatively simple to address," Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Max Baucus as well as 14 House Members, including Representatives Lois Capps, Nita Lowey, Betty McCollum, Gwen Moore, and Lynn Woolsey, wrote to President Obama prior to the G8 Summit, saying "We stand ready to offer you the support you will need from the legislative branch in order to carry out this important task [to pursue MDG5] and to save women's lives." Click here to read more.

That same week a delegation of White Ribbon Alliance members presented Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer an international petition on behalf of 14.3 million midwives, nurses and doctors who are pledging to "do our utmost to ensure that those women who we can reach birth safely" and asking President Obama to work with other G8 leaders to "deliver the extra $10 billion per year to build the health systems needed to cut maternal mortality by 75% by 2015."

WRA Delegation presents international health worker petition to US State Dept. officials (l to r): Catharine Taylor (WRA Board Member & PATH Director of Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition); Anne Hyre (American College of Nurse-Midwives Director of Global Outreach; Betsy McCallon (WRA Deputy Director); and State Dept. officials, Melanne Verveer, Rachel Vogelstein and Jen Klein.

"Improving impoverished women's chances of survival before, during and after pregnancy is an issue of rights and social justice. It is also a sound economic and social investment, given the importance of women to the well-being of their children, families and societies," wrote Rep. Gwen Moore in a pre-G8 op-ed published in The Hill. Reps. Moore and Lowey are leading House efforts to secure an additional $10 million for USAID maternal health programs in developing countries. Click here to read.

"High maternal death rates are a barometer of weak health systems, often reflecting the low status of women. When you strengthen them to address maternal health, you will see the system address other health needs," wrote CARE-USA President and CEO Helene Gayle in an op-ed published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, making public her appeal that "the US spearhead a comprehensive maternal health action plan and, by doing so, set an example for world leaders to join and invest in." Click here to read.

Mothers Day Every Day Co-Founders Helene Gayle and Theresa Shaver were joined by JHPIEGO VP and Medical Director Harshad Sanghvi; HHS Associate Director for Development Support and African Affairs Samuel Adeniyi-Jones; CDC Global AIDS Program Deputy Director RJ Simonds; and USAID Senior Maternal Health Advisor Mary Ellen Stanton at a packed briefing for Congressional staff - Strengthening Maternal Health: The Greatest Hope for Africa - sponsored by Senator Russ Feingold and supported by a diverse coalition of health, human rights and development organizations. Moderated by Dr. Gayle and with insight from five maternal health experts, the panel was clear on three points points: First, there is growing momentum to meet the targets laid out in MDG 5. Second, we have the tools to save women's lives and meet MDG 5 And third, with strong political will and adequate investments in maternal and newborn health, the US can save countless lives and assume greater leadership globally.

Advocates and Administration officials speak at Senate briefing (l to r): Harshad Sanghvi (JHPIEGO), Theresa Shaver (WRA), Mary Ellen Stanton (USAID), Helene Gayle (CARE), Samuel Adeniyi-Jones (HHS) and RJ Simonds (CDC).

Afghanistan, a country with the highest infant and second highest maternal mortality rates in the world was the inspiring focal point for an impressive Women's Policy Inc. briefing for- Maternal Health in Afghanistan: How Can We Save Women's Lives? - the next day. Remarks by Reps. Judy Biggert, Lois Capps, Susan Davis, Kay Granger, Carolyn Maloney and Gwen Moore set the stage for Ambassador Paula Doriansky and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer to affirm US commitment to support expansion of women's rights and investments to strengthen health systems. Afghan Minister of Health SM Amin Fatimie and Afghan Midwives Association President, Pashtoon Azfar, highlighted major successes resulting in a three-fold increase of women accessing skilled care during delivery since 2002. Both thanked the US for our critical continuing assistance. Go to www.womenspolicy.org to see an archived webcast of the briefing and to Voice of America for coverage.

Please join us in pressing for the US to do more to drive investments and changes to ensure every women's access to lifesaving care before, during and after childbirth. To find out more and get involved, please go to www.mothersdayeveryday.org

Thank you.

Dr. Helene Gayle
President & CEO
CARE USA

Theresa Shaver
President & Executive Director
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood