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Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health

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The SMRH Working Group synthesizes current research, best practices and country experiences to provide CORE Group partner organizations with technical updates in the areas of women and maternal health; newborn and child health; and family planning and reproductive health.

Objectives for 2011-2015

  1. To contribute to expansion of promising community-based program approaches and effective monitoring schemes of integrated programs across the MNCH continuum (through HBLSS scale up, training and monitoring; MAMAN training and monitoring;  and  USAID led integration efforts).
  2. To examine and disseminate innovations in MNC (ex. HBB, hemorrhage garment, and reproductive health technologies).
  3. Provide opportunities for CORE members and the broader development community to stay current on MNCH research

Leadership

Working Group Co-Chairs:
Sadia Parveen, URC-CHS
Carolyn Kruger, PCI

The Urgent Need

  • Women and Maternal Health
    Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. While motherhood is often a positive and fulfilling experience, for too many women it is associated with suffering, ill-health and even death.  The major direct causes of maternal morbidity and mortality include haemorrhage, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labour. Maternal mortality is higher in women living in rural areas and poorer communities.  Young adolescents face a higher risk of complications than older women.  Skilled care before, during and after childbirth can save the lives of women and newborn babies. (WHO)  Examples of community health approaches include helping families with birth plans, ensuring culturally appropriate care, and setting up emergency transport systems.
  • Newborn Health
    Newborns have the highest risk of death among all children. Each day, about 8,000 babies die within the first 28 days of life – the neonatal or newborn period. Most of them are born in low and middle income  countries and most of them die at home. Prematurity/low birthweight, infections and asphyxia/birth traumas cause 77 per cent of these deaths.   Cost-effective, feasible interventions for newborns are available.  Many of them can be done by families in the home including initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth, ensuring proper cord care, keeping the baby warm and dry, recognizing danger signs and seeking help, and giving special care to infants with low birthweight. (WHO and UNICEF Statistics, 2011).  Facility interventions are crucial for other interventions such as newborn resuscitation and care for preterm births. 
  • Family Planning

    Increasing contraceptive use in developing countries has cut the number of maternal deaths by 40% over the past 20 years, merely by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies. By preventing high-risk pregnancies, especially in women of high parities, and those that would have ended in unsafe abortion, increased contraceptive use has reduced the maternal mortality ratio—the risk of maternal death per 100 000 livebirths—by about 26% in little more than a decade. A further 30% of maternal deaths could be avoided by fulfillment of unmet need for contraception.. Children born within 2 years of an elder sibling are 60% more likely to die in infancy than are those born more than 2 years after their sibling. (Cleland, J et al. Contraception and Health www.thelancet.com; July 10, 2012).  There are a wide range of family planning methods available, such as abstinence, natural family planning methods (LAM and cycle beads), barrier methods (condoms), hormonal methods (oral contraceptives), implantable devices (IUDs), and permanent methods for men and women. The choice of contraceptive method depends on your health, your reproductive health desires, your faith and beliefs, and the feasibility and acceptability of the method. 

Tools & Resources

Presentations, Reports & Webinars

Presentation: SMRH Working Group Technical Update Powerpoint Presentation: The ABC’s of Postpartum Family Planning (October 2008)

Presentation by Robin Anthony Kouyate from an Elluminate session is an overview of ACCESS-FP programmatic experiences in integrating PPFP into MNCH and FP programs. Topics: barriers to PPFP method and service use; key PPFP messages (HTSP, LAM, return to fertility); how MNH community-based interventions have integrated MNH and FP; a description of a CHW referral system and its challenges (Bangladesh); and resources.

Presentation: SMRH Working Group Technical Update Powerpoint Presentation: WHO recommendations on PPH prevention

Report: Uganda Trip Report: Baiscs of Community-Based Family Planning (March 2007)

Presentation:SMRH Working Group Technical Update Powerpoint Presentation: Contraceptive Technology Update (CTU): What’s New Out There, What Are the Implications? (March 2006)

Useful Links

Past Highlights

 
 
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