White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Challenges World Economic Forum on Africa...

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Challenges World Economic Forum on
Africa to Invest in Women's Health

Says Maternal Deaths Indicator of Failures to Provide Basic Health Care to
Women

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The White Ribbon
Alliance for Safe Motherhood today made public its challenge to world leaders
gathered at the World Economic Forum on Africa to invest in women's health as
necessary to save the lives of women needlessly lost in pregnancy and
childbirth. "While we, too, see tremendous opportunity in this, the fourth
straight year of record-breaking economic growth in Africa, we can not accept
that in these same countries women continue to die in childbirth, only because
they can not access basic health care," said Rose Mlay, National Coordinator
of the White Ribbon Alliance in Tanzania.

Citing recent reports that the UN Millennium Development Goal to reduce
maternal mortality by 75% by 2015 is unlikely to be met in Asia until 2076 and
many years later in Africa, Mlay was joined by White Ribbon Alliance leaders
from 17 countries - including Burkina Faso, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and
Zambia - who uphold maternal health is a human right and underscore that a
woman's risk of dying in childbirth is 1 in 26 in Africa, as compared to 1 in
7,300 in industrialized regions.

"Maternal mortality is the single greatest indicator of the failure of
governments to ensure their people a functioning health care system," said
Jamilah Al-Sharie, Secretary General of the White Ribbon Alliance in Yemen.
"Whether in Bangladesh or Zambia, where there is the political will to invest
in health care systems to provide quality obstetric and emergency care, almost
all women live through the complications that would otherwise kill them."

"Every minute another woman dies in childbirth," said Jeremie Zoungrana,
National Coordinator of the Alliance in Burkina Faso. "We urge the members of
the World Economic Forum to use their influence and resources to make sure
richer nations meet their obligations to assist poor nations and support
African nations to make good on the Abuju Declaration to allocate 15% of the
national budget to health. Not only is an investment in women's health one
that reaps enormous economic benefits, it is the right thing to do."

Experts estimate a package of maternal health services costing less than
US$1.50 per person could make significant improvements in women's health in
the 75 countries where 95% of maternal and child deaths occur. Funding for
population, family planning and reproductive health has declined since the
mid-1990s, especially if HIV/AIDS money is excluded. Aid to the least
developed countries has essentially stalled since 2003. Dangerously low and
declining investments in women's health jeopardize gains made to reduce child
mortality and combat HIV/AIDS as well as development to eradicate poverty.

The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, with members in 91 countries,
is leading a global campaign - A Promise to Mothers Lost: Healthy Pregnancy
and Safe Childbirth for All - to amplify demands for greater investment in
maternal health and to catalyze public support to hold politicians and public
officials accountable for ensuring systemic changes to give every woman access
to quality health services. For more information, please go to
www.promisetomothers.org.

Contact: Deborah Clark, Communications Director
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
debclark@promisetomothers.org, 071-625-5944

SOURCE White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood

Deborah Clark, Communications Director of White Ribbon Alliance for Safe
Motherhood, 071-625-5944, debclark@promisetomothers.org