During the week of the G8 meetings in Italy, the White Ribbon Alliance, of which Women and Children First is a member, is launching the “Atlas of Birth.”, including a new publication and a short animated film “Birth and Death” to highlight the scandalous lack of attention to how many women still die giving birth around the world. Maternal death is the greatest health inequity of the 21st Century. Every minute, someone's mother, sister, wife or friend dies needlessly giving birth. It remains a global disgrace that more women in the developing world die through becoming pregnant than from any other cause. Yet we know what to do to stop this. We've tried it. It works. Even in countries usually considered 'poor.' The answer is - many more trained health workers. The G8 have promised to take action. As yet, they haven't. Let's hold them to their promises.
Saving Lives
Up to half a million women and three million newborn babies die each year in pregnancy and childbirth or soon afterwards, the majority of them in Africa and South Asia. For every woman who dies at least twenty more suffer complications which leave them with lifelong disability and pain.
Our unique programmes are saving the lives of mothers and babies every day. We need you to help us to equip women with their most vital survival tool: knowledge.
