29-10-2009 In Badakshan province in north-eastern Afghanistan, survival of women while giving birth depends merely on a chance. Lack of awareness, poverty and poor infrastructure are the main reasons for high mortality rate in the embattled country.
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27-10-2009 UNICEF-supported maternity waiting home programme in Afghanistan aims to save the lives of mothers and newborn babies by bringing skilled prenatal and postnatal care to women in remote areas. Maternal mortality rates in the country are among the highest in the world.
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15-10-2009 Activists and experts in India feel that unless the country aims at maximising the number of births attended by skilled health personnel, it is not possible to reduce maternal deaths. There is a need for a revision of polices aimed at ‘institutionalising’ deliveries in resource-poor rural settings.
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08-10-2009 Human Rights Watch’s new report reveals that breakdown of healthcare system in India is taking its toll on pregnant women. Despite national commitment, repeated failures to monitor flaws in healthcare programmes and the ignorance about entitlements have resulted in increased maternal mortality.
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05-10-2009 Much of women’s work in India has little or no social security, reveals a new report on women wage labourers’ access to maternal health services. Absence of protection against occupational and health hazards is creating vulnerable situations for women workers in the country’s deprived regions.
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11-09-2009 A British pop star is currently in Nepal to promote maternal healthcare and women’s rights. Geri Halliwell, a former member of the famous music band ‘Spice Girls’ and goodwill ambassador for the UNFPA, has launched a campaign to draw attention to problems like violence and inadequate obstetric care.
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25-08-2009 Indonesia’s archaic abortion law forces many women to terminate pregnancy through illegal means, contributing to the highest mortality rate in the region. Demanding improved family planning services, rights groups are calling for an amendment in the law to protect women from unsafe practices.
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13-08-2009 Orthodox customs and dearth of female staff hinder Afghan women’s access to health centres. However, growing number of midwifery schools especially in rural areas have helped improve the country’s record on maternal health. Trained in child delivery, these women also increase awareness about family planning and HIV/AIDS.
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03-08-2009 In Bangladesh, according to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2009 report, 64% girls marry before they reach the age of 18. As a result, both maternal and child mortality rates are increasing in the country.
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02-07-2009 Almost a quarter of the world’s maternal deaths occur in India and some states have alarmingly high rates, reveals a new report released this week in the national capital. A people-led campaign found that quality healthcare was essential for bringing down the number of deaths.
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