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BLOG June 28, 2010 Maternal Mortality Rates Drop, Helped Down by More Education for Women A recent study published in the medical research journal The Lancet has given new hope to the fight against maternal mortality, announcing that rates of pregnancy-related deaths worldwide have dropped significantly over the past 30 years. Progress in this area was once perceived to be at a standstill, but the new data suggests that efforts to reduce this threat to women--including educating more girls--are working. Rates have plummeted from more than 500,000 deaths in 1980 to about 340,000 in 2008. Besides improved access to medical care, the study cites several other reasons for the decline, many of which are ripple effects of increased rates of schooling for women and girls. It is well documented that education for women and girls can help raise family income, improve child nutrition, increase access to health information and medical services, and lower fertility rates--all reasons cited by the study for helping lower the number of women who die from pregnancy and childbirth. This news is most welcome; however, much remains to be done. Indeed, the New York Times noted that some women’s health advocates urged The Lancet to delay publication of the study, as they were concerned that news of a decline in deaths would cause women’s health to receive less public support. Although their reaction was misguided, their concern is understandable: 380,000 deaths--more than 800 deaths each day--is still a terrifying number. Furthermore, rates of maternal mortality are still highest in sub-Saharan Africa where WGEP is currently focused. Yet another recent study published in the journal BMC Public Health has shown that women in this part of the world frequently die--not from disease--but from preventable complications during and after pregnancy. The study’s authors have emphasized that access to education is crucial to reversing this trend, and indeed, the study found that education for women is higher in countries with a lower mortality rate. These studies are important because they illustrate that these deaths are not only measurable, but preventable. Indeed, the Lancet study points to specific ways in which these deaths can be drastically reduced—with more education for women prominent. In short, not only do we know that maternal mortality rates are declining, but we also know what is working to keep these numbers down. Women’s health advocates and supporters the world over should draw inspiration from this study to further reduce that 380,000 to as close to zero as possible. Global death rates for children also drop; education for women cited as key factor A recent study has shown that global death rates for children 5 or younger--although still at a staggering 7.7 million annually--have also been dropping over the past decade. Like the studies on lowered maternal mortality rates, more education for women has been cited as one of the factors that have helped to lower these rates. Read more… September 10, 2009 SITES WE LIKE: UNICEF Radio UNICEF Radio, available in podcasts online, is an excellent resource for up to date news and in-depth analyses of the successes and setbacks in ensuring universal girls’ education worldwide. One series, titled "Digital Diaries," broadcasts the recordings made by children and adolescents of their daily lives. A recent entry is by Fatuma, a Kenyan teenager from the slums of Kibera who wanted to share her experiences in Kenya’s school system. To read Fatuma’s story and listen to her account, please visit: http://www.unicef.org/people/kenya_43469.html UNICEF Radio Home: http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/video_radio.html September 1, 2009 Stay Up-to-Date with the Latest News on Female Genital Cutting In many regions of the world, female genital mutilation (FGM) is a major factor in preventing girls from continuing their education. By serving to bring a girl into her life as a woman, FGM often forces girls to drop out of school to begin lives as adults and start families. The physical damage caused by this practice can be restrictive and painful for the girls who have undergone it. In Tharaka, Kenya, the Women’s Global Education Project and local partner Tharaka Women's Welfare Program has helped to keep more than 2,500 girls in school by promoting an alternative rite of passage program, one which empowers women and celebrates their transition to adulthood without the emotional and physical trauma of FGM. Girls and their mothers attend a week of educational seminars and fun activities to rejoice in each girl’s growth, so that the loss of FGM does not entail the loss of culture or ritual. If you would like to learn more about FGM and the work being done around the world to prevent the practice, the FGM News Blog is an excellent resource. There you will find updates on efforts by a multitude of local and international organizations to eradicate FGM, and more information about the work being done in the field. FGM News Blog: http://www.fgcdailynews.blogspot.com/ August 1, 2009 Although the government is considering implementing price controls to ease this burden, there are grassroots solutions that can help communities better cope with food insecurity. Most importantly, families must ensure that all members have equal and fair access to nutritious food, and that scarce resources are spent responsibly. It has been proven time and again that one of the best ways to ensure a family’s food security and health is to empower mothers and wives to actively participate in important household decisions so they may advocate on behalf of themselves and their children. So, how do we encourage women to speak up? According to the World Bank, the children of a mother with even just one year of primary education show a 43 percent decline in malnutrition. Women draw confidence from education, which provides them with the tools and knowledge they need to keep a safe and happy family. Moreover, the impact education has on a woman’s wages is striking: the return of an investment in schooling in terms of wages is on average 9.8 percent worldwide. With a stronger voice and economic independence, women and children can better protect themselves from economic and political volatility. Kenya’s food crisis highlights the pressing need to make girls’ education a top priority--as a means to both empower Kenyan women and to better insulate families from price shocks and insecurity. While global financial crisis has affected us all, it is still the poorest communities that are most vulnerable. In these times, it is even more essential that we continue to make significant investments in girls’ education. Read more on food access and gender issues: BBC Bread Basket United Nations Development Fund for Women July 15, 2009
Each day, a woman somewhere in the world dies in childbirth (UNICEF). This epidemic is often hidden behind other
health and development priorities. However, a series of articles recently published in the New York Times has finally ushered the
issue of maternal mortality into the foreground.
Denise Grady’s series “Death in Birth” is commendable for bringing the veiled crisis of maternal mortality to light. But Grady fails to identify workable, straightforward solutions to this needless tragedy. Reducing maternal mortality can be as easy as the ABCs; the key is universal girls’ education. As Grady describes, there are innumerable factors contributing to high rates of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, including poor transportation, lack of access to affordable medical care, and a shortage of health workers. Fixing any one of these problems would surely save lives, and we should continue to pursue these goals. But, educating young women is the one solution that can prevent dangerous, unwanted pregnancies while also improving the health of mother and child in the long run. This fact is well documented, and many countries and organizations are beginning to act; the statistics are simply too powerful to ignore. According to the World Bank, each year a woman spends in school reduces both fertility and child mortality by 10 percent. Education empowers women to know their rights and make healthy choices, helping them to help themselves and their children.With a 1-in-16 chance of an African woman dying in childbirth, compared to a 1-in-4,000 chance for women in wealthy countries, rates of maternal mortality show “the largest difference between poor and rich countries of any health indicator” (UNICEF). Education is the closest thing to a miracle cure. Expanding and improving girls’ education in the developing world will save lives and empower new generations of mothers to hold their leaders accountable for the basic services they need. So rarely is a solution so simple. Read more on maternal mortality: The Population Council UNICEF UNFPA |
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