The INFO Project Blog

In this week’s installment of INFO’s Pop Reporter newsletter, INFO editor Ward Rinehart writes a guest editorial about the Women Deliver conference.

Family planning leads the list of strategies for reducing maternal deaths that government ministers endorsed… Eliminating unmet need for family planning would cut maternal deaths worldwide by one-third, it is estimated.

Rinehart, who presented at the conference on INFO’s new guide, Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers, reports on some positive developments.

Several donor governments made their will clear with large commitments of funds. At the opening conference session, the UK announced a pledge of 100 million pounds sterling over 5 years to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Norway has pledged US $1billion over 10 years toward achieving the MDG health goals. The Netherlands and Denmark also have made substantial pledges to similar goals recently.

Announcing the UK grant, Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander said that every 1 million pounds sterling invested in family planning would avert an estimated 720,000 unwanted pregnancies, prevent 300,000 abortions, and avoid the deaths of 1,600 mothers and 22,000 infants.

A much smaller scale Indian initiative in Rajasthan introducing financial financial incentives to “get women in institutions for delivery” has proven to be an effective method in averting maternal deaths. In a new BBC Health Check broadcast about the Women Deliver conference, Claudia Hammond reports on the 1000-rupee incentives to deliver in hospital: Listen here.

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Posted by Seth.