Links
Partners
PATH
PATH is an international, nonprofit organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health. By collaborating with diverse public- and private-sector partners, PATH helps provide appropriate health technologies and vital strategies that change the way people think and act. PATH’s work improves global health and well-being. For more information, please visit www.path.org.
RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit corporation that focuses on scientific research and technology development. Through research, development, and technical assistance, RTI focuses on improving maternal and reproductive health. Its experts are assisting developing countries around the world to improve the well-being of women and children.
EngenderHealth
EngenderHealth works to improve women’s health worldwide. Their work in the areas of maternal health, including prenatal care, postpartum care, family planning, postabortion care, and emergency obstetric care, including obstetric fistula treatment and prevention; prevention of HIV in pregnant women and of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; and cervical cancer prevention helps to improve the lives of individuals by making reproductive health services safe, available, and sustainable. EngenderHealth provides technical assistance, training, and information, with a focus on practical solutions that improve services where resources are scarce.
International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)
ICM is a member organization composed of approximately 85 midwifery associations from all over the world. ICM’s mission is “to advance worldwide the aims and aspirations of midwives in the attainment of improved outcomes for women, their newborns and families during the childbearing cycle, using the ICM midwifery philosophy and model of care.” ICM collaborates closely with FIGO to expand the use of AMTSL as evidenced by their joint statement issued in November 2003. ICM is a collaborating partner on the POPPHI project.
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
FIGO is the only worldwide member organization of gynecologists and obstetricians. FIGO has 110 member societies representing all regions of the world. In January 2004, FIGO established a Committee on Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health to carry out related priorities for the period 2003-2006. FIGO is a collaborating partner to the POPPHI project and is promoting the use of AMTSL through its joint statement with the International Confederation of Midwives.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
USAID works to improve the health and quality of life of women and children worldwide. Their maternal and child health program site includes information about maternal health programs and relevant publications, including how family planning impacts maternal health.
Collaborators
JHPIEGO-An affiliate of Johns Hopkins University
JHPIEGO is an international public health organization that focuses on a variety of areas, with the goal of improving women’s health. JHPIEGO leads the Access to Clinical and Community Maternal, Neonatal and Women’s Health Services (ACCESS) project. ACCESS is one of POPPHI’s implementing partners. Through its activities, ACCESS promotes the use of AMTSL in facilities and in the community by establishing clinical standards and guidelines, strengthening systems for provider skills and supervision, and developing training and information, education, and communication (IEC) materials.
Rational Pharmaceutical Management Plus (RPM Plus)
www.msh.org/rpmplus/index.html
RPM Plus is led by Management Sciences for Health in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development, Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, Boston University Center for International Health, Harvard University, Health and Development Service, and PATH. RPM Plus works to improve the availability and use of quality pharmaceuticals, vaccines, supplies, and equipment. RPM Plus is an implementing partner to the POPPHI project and is providing expertise on pharmaceutical forecasting, procurement, and logistics.
HealthTech
HealthTech develops, adapts, evaluates and/or facilitates the introduction of affordable and appropriate innovative technology solutions that can significantly contribute to addressing identified impediments to the safe, effective, and more equitable distribution of health care services in low-resource countries.
Other Relevant Organizations
American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM)
ACNM is a professional organization that sponsors research, accredits nurse-midwifery educational programs, administers continuing education programs, establishes clinical practice standards, and advocates for the profession in U.S. legislatures. Its website includes information about midwifery education; clinical practice statements, position statements, and guidelines issued by ACNM; strategies for policy advocacy; extensive links to other midwifery sites; and a book store that sells a wide array of print materials on midwifery.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
ACOG is the leading group of professionals in the United States providing health care for women. It serves as an advocate for women’s health care issues and strives to maintain the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education for its members.
Family Care International (FCI)
www.familycareintl.org
FCI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving women's sexual and reproductive health and rights in developing countries. It is also the secretariat for the Safe Motherhood Initiative. Its site contains fact sheets on key sexual and reproductive health issues, including maternal mortality, contraception, youth and adolescent health, unsafe abortion, and HIV/AIDS and STIs. FCI’s Saving Women's Lives: Skilled Care Initiative is working with partners to implement a five-year project to reduce pregnancy-related death and disability in developing countries by ensuring that women have access to skilled, qualified care during and after childbirth.
Gynuity
Gynuity is a research organization based in New York. Gynuity’s research focuses on reproductive health technologies, medical abortion, and policy work. Gynuity is conducting ongoing research on the use of misoprostol to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.
Midwives Information and Resource Service (MIDIRS)
MIDIRS is an educational charity (not-for-profit organization) whose mission is “To be the central source of information relating to childbirth and to disseminate this information to midwives and others.” MIDIRS helps to support midwives in professional development through publications, workshops, and a range of information services.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
PAHO is a regional office of the World Health Organization, working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. PAHO works to strengthen the health sector capacity in countries and promotes an integral approach to health problems. It also targets the issue of women's health and works to increase women’s own awareness of their importance as both recipients and providers of health services.
Partnership for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health
In 1987, a coalition of the world's leaders in maternal and child health—United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and the Population Council—joined forces and developed the Safe Motherhood Inter-Agency Group to address the problems of maternal morbidity and mortality. These groups have been joined by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the Regional Prevention of Maternal Mortality Network (Africa), and the Safe Motherhood Network of Nepal. This site describes the Safe Motherhood Initiative and the projects undertaken by member organizations, lists upcoming events, and posts relevant news articles. It also offers an extensive series of fact sheets on the factors contributing to maternal mortality, data on maternal health indicators, and program recommendations. In 2004, the Inter-Agency Group began transitioning to become the Partnership for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health.
Population, Health, and Nutrition Information (PHNI) Project
The PHNI Project is a five-year program of the USAID Bureau for Global Health. PHNI provides the Bureau for Global Health and other USAID offices with tools to measure project performance and expertise in key service areas. PHNI also maintains the Data On-Line for Population, Health and Nutrition (DOLPHN) Database, which provides information on demographic, health, and socioeconomic indicators.
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is an international coalition of organizations and individuals formed to promote increased public awareness of the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women in developing and developed countries. Their website provides an array of valuable resources, including Technical Resource Series readings, fact sheets, FAQs, extensive links, reports on White Ribbon Alliance activities, and a photo library.
World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO is the United Nations specialized agency on health. Safe motherhood was the theme of WHO's World Health Day in 1998. The site (www.who.int/archives/whday/en/whday1998.html) includes the full text of WHO's summary statement on safe motherhood in both English and French. It reviews the current status of maternal health, the social and economic importance of safe motherhood, and the key elements needed to ensure maternal health. WHO calls for delaying childbearing, ensuring skilled attendance at delivery, improving access to and quality of maternal health services, preventing unwanted pregnancy, and addressing unsafe abortion. The WHO site also includes information on the Making Pregnancy Safer initiative link to: (www.who.int/reproductive-health/mps/index.html) , a health sector strategy for reducing maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity.
UNICEF
UNICEF is a partner in the Safe Motherhood Initiative. This site describes UNICEF's activities, including efforts to promote safe motherhood by helping build mother-friendly societies and improve the survival and health of both mothers and infants. The site includes publications on several topics related to safe motherhood, including Facts for Life, and information on gender concerns and health. Also available in Spanish and French.
UNICEF: End of Decade Databases. This database includes a range of indicators on maternal and child health that relate to the goals of the World Summit for Children. The delivery care indicators include antenatal care, childbirth care, and obstetric care.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs. The UNFPA works towards achieving reproductive health for all women around the globe through their work with government and non-governmental organizations.