LSTM’s Maternal and Newborn Health Unit (MNHU) provided a briefing to the House of Lords last week for itsParliamentary Debate on Women in Developing Countries.
The Unit provided information on the scale of the problem of maternal mortality and morbidity rates in developing countries. In addition it highlighted the packages of care MNHU has developed focussing mainly on the DfID funded ‘Making it Happen’ programme of the Unit. This particular programme aims to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity by increasing availability and improving the quality of Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA) and Emergency Obstetric and New-born Care (EmONC). It is currently in its second funding phase expanding from 5 to 11 countries, 8 in Sub-Saharan Africa and 3 in South Asia.
Baroness Helene Hayman, who is a member of the Maternal and Newborn Health Unit External Advisory Group, was one of the speakers at this debate. She highlighted the work of LSTM’s Maternal and Newborn Health Unit as a possible solution to reduce global maternal mortality and morbidity rates. She echoed the argument that not only are women entitled to rights but that their rights are key to the development of communities and countries.