Learning From Success: Ministers of Health Discuss Accelerating Progress in Maternal Survival
鈥淭he gains we have made [in reducing maternal mortality rates] are remarkable; however, gains are fragile and donor resources are declining. Substantial investments must be maintained to safeguard these hard-wins,鈥 said Afghanistan Minister of Health Suraya Dail on April 23.
As part of the 浪花直播 Center鈥檚 Global Health Initiative, the Advancing Dialogue to Improve Maternal Health series partnered with the United States Agency for International Development to co-host Minister Dail, along with Honorable Dr. Mam Bunheng, Minister of Health, Cambodia; Honorable Dr. Bautista Rojas G贸mez, Minister of Health, Dominican Republic; and Dr. Fidele Ngabo, Director of Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health, Rwanda.
These ministers spoke about the lessons learned in countries where there has been tremendous progress under challenging circumstances.
In the Dominican Republic, Bautista Rojas Gomez said the first challenge was to address the 鈥淒ominican paradox,鈥 where maternal mortality rates were high despite the fact that 97 percent of women received prenatal care and delivered in hospitals. The government created a zero tolerance policy that included a comprehensive surveillance system, mandatory maternal death audits, and community oversight of services, which assured better quality services.
Similar political commitment improved indicators in Cambodia, where maternal mortality rates dropped from 472 to 206 per year from 2005 to 2010. 鈥淚t takes a village鈥nd the prime minister has inspired the country to act,鈥 said Mam Bunheng. Through increased access to contraception the number of children per woman went from seven to three and commitment to family planning, education, technology, infrastructure, and community have been the key drivers of success.
鈥淚n Rwanda, the big challenge we are having is education,鈥 said Fidele Ngabo. 鈥淢any of the maternal health indicators depend on education.鈥 When women and girls are educated they are twice as likely to utilize modern contraception. The efforts of Rwanda鈥檚 government have been instrumental in facilitating positive change, he said, particularly the efforts of First Lady Jeannette Kagame, who he called a 鈥渃hampion鈥 for women and girl鈥檚 health.
As witnessed throughout the Advancing Dialogue to Improve Maternal Health series 鈥 and reiterated by the ministers of health 鈥 the interventions to improve maternal mortality rates exist, what鈥檚 left is to generate the needed political willpower.
By Calyn Ostrowski, program consultant, Global Health Initiative, 202-691-4341
Speakers
Hosted By
Maternal Health Initiative
Housed within the 浪花直播 Center's Environmental Change and Security Program, the Maternal Health Initiative (MHI) leads the 浪花直播 Center鈥檚 work on maternal health, global health equity, and gender equality. Read more
Environmental Change and Security Program
The Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) explores the connections between environmental change, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy. Read more
Middle East Program
浪花直播鈥檚 Middle East Program serves as a crucial resource for the policymaking community and beyond, providing analyses and research that helps inform US foreign policymaking, stimulates public debate, and expands knowledge about issues in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Read more
Latin America Program
浪花直播鈥檚 prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the 浪花直播 Center鈥檚 strength as the nation鈥檚 key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
Africa Program
The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations. Read more