Experts call for increased efforts to improve maternal and newborn child health in Africa More than 50 government, civil society, academic and United Nations experts came together for a meeting coordinated by the African Union (AU) in partnership with UN Women from 24 to 26 April in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to review key frameworks and initiatives on maternal and newborn child health and recommend actions for reduction of maternal and child deaths in Africa. During the meeting, which was … [Read more...]
1000 Days to Take Action, Keep the Momentum Going
April 16, 2013 by
What is Momentum1000? April 5th, 2013 marked the 1,000-day milestone until the 2015 target date to achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a development framework to improve lives worldwide. On that day, a community of individuals, organizations, and institutions celebrated successes to date, reinvigorated discussion on the MDGs themselves, and began to advance a post-2015 development framework that builds on #MDGmomentum. Momentum1000 April 5th, 2013 marked the 1,000-day … [Read more...]
Liya Kebede – WOMAN of ACTION™
April 9, 2013 by
A Celebration of Women™ is elated to Celebrate the Life of this young woman, one that has risen above circumstance, achieved her goals and is now using her powers of influence to Take Action and create positive change in our world, with a focus on Women and Children. WOMAN of ACTION™ Liya Kebede Liya Kebede (Amharic: ሊያ ከበደ?) (born January 3, 1978) is an Ethiopian born model, maternal … [Read more...]
INFANTS BORN TO HIV+ MOTHERS: NEED FOR A FRESH LOOK
March 9, 2013 by
On Monday, March 4, 2013, at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta, Dr. Deborah Persaud of the Johns Hopkins University presented an intriguing case study of a child who by all measures seems to be cured of HIV infection. This single case has sparked significant conversation, debate, and optimism. This blog highlights the important questions that have naturally arisen from this case and examines aspects of the research agenda that now need to be … [Read more...]
CONGO – Indigenous ‘pygmies’ excluded from maternal health
March 5, 2013 by
BRAZZAVILLE, March 2013 (IRIN) - Indigenous Women in the Republic of Congo, better known as 'pygmies' - a minority group threatened with extinction - are virtually excluded from reproductive health services. They mostly give birth at home and are exposed to related health risks, according to a 2012 study conducted by the Ministry of Health with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The study, Determinants of the Use of Reproductive Health Services by Indigenous Peoples, was … [Read more...]
Forced Virginity Tests, can you imagine? – Take Action
February 27, 2013 by
WOMEN of our WORLD We still need more signatures - Take Action! Forced Virginity Tests in Africa, India and Middle East ... isn't this IMMORAL in itself, as there is zero dignity or respect in the action. Can you imagine being forced to have virginity tests and then if it turns out that you are not a virgin, you would be charged with prostitution? Seems far fetched and downright ridiculous but this is the reality for Egyptian protesters. Amnesty International has … [Read more...]
Newborn to Toddler, how to get a Full-night’s Sleep
February 23, 2013 by
A full night of restful sleep can become so rare that it can almost seem mythical to the parents of toddlers, but there are some things you can do to stretch out the time you’re allotted. If your child is waking in the obscenely early hours of the morning and you can’t seem to get him back to bed, these tips can help you establish a routine that keeps him sleeping until at least sunrise. Consider His Sleep Environment - Before you assume that your child is waking up so early in the … [Read more...]
CSW – Violence Against Women, Sexual, Reproductive Health
February 22, 2013 by
CSW 2012 The fifty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 27 February to 9 March 2012. The closing meeting was held on 15 March 2012. The 2012 session focused on the following key areas: Priority Theme: The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges Review Theme: Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women Emerging … [Read more...]
Maternal Health, Dr. Temmerman talks to Beng Poblete-Enriquez about her priorities
February 2, 2013 by
Dr. Marleen Temmerman, head of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization in Geneva, joined the agency late last year because she believes it can play a very prominent role in meeting the unmet needs of so many women in the area of reproductive health and services. Dr. Temmerman talks to Beng Poblete-Enriquez about her priorities and recalls an early experience in Kenya where a 15 year-old pregnant girl died in her arms from a ruptured … [Read more...]
Women’s Health: 10 Things Doctors Won’t Tell You Before Surgery
January 31, 2013 by
The lead-up to a surgical procedure is usually dominated by an exchange of information between you and your surgeon. There can be so many details and so much to keep up with that you may not even realize how many potentially important ones are either being lost in the shuffle or actively swept under the rug. Before you go under the knife, these are 10 of the things that you might want to make a point of asking your surgeon about. Their Board Certification Status – It usually … [Read more...]
