Every minute, one woman dies of preventable pregnancy and delivery related complications. In other words, 530,000 women a year.

In Sweden, the chance of a woman dying of these complications is 1 in 29,800; in Afghanistan it is one 1 in 6.

Out of all WHO public health indicators, maternal mortality rates (MMR) show the greatest rich-poor disparity.

From 18 th to 20 th October, Women Deliver, a global conference, was held in London with the goals of

• Highlighting the critical connection between women's health and, rights, education and poverty reduction
• Encouraging governments to integrate women's health in national strategy
• Raising further resources
• Having countries adopt the health of women and children as a key indicator of national health

Over 1,500 politicians, including ministers from Africa and Asia, human rights activists, NGOs, including JOICFP, faith-based organizations, health professionals and economists attended.

Co-sponsors of the event included the World Bank, WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and various official international assistance agencies.

Jill Sheffield, President, Family Care International,
opens Women Deliver

Masato Takaoka, Minister, Embassy of Japan to the UK, spoke of Japan 's commitment to global health, highlighting the Okinawa Infectious Disease Initiative, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Health Development Initiative, among others.

He said that Japan would issue a high-level policy statement prior to TICAD IV and the G8 Summit in Japan, renewing Japan 's resolution to achieve the Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs ).

At the exhibition at Women Deliver

There has been little change in MMR in the last 20 years, and the donor community needs to do more to ensure assistance actually reaches the grassroots focusing the socially vulnterable women and infants, despite this having been emphasized over and again.

International organizations have difficulty to get aid to those who need it, and unless there are effective community mechanisms in place, there will be no sustainable reduction in MMR.

MDGs 5 is said to be at the heart of the MDGs, but unless MMR is tackled there will be no success.

There are many causes for high MMR, including extreme poverty, lack of education for women, gender issues, and the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS. In this way, reducing MMR is a crosscutting issue that affects several MDGs.

For example, tuberculosis can be tackled in a ‘disease specific program', but MMR cannot; an approach to tackle it in urban areas cannot be applied in rural areas.

Members of the White Ribbon Alliance meet in London

White Ribbon Alliance

Prior to Women Deliver, the White Ribbon Alliance ( WRA ), of which JOICFP is a member, convened to discuss how to increase its impact and visibility in saving mothers' lives.

WRA needs to be both international and have a grassroots movement that will continue getting broader range of people in the world listen ing to the voices of women in need.

NGOs must play a greater role, especially as tackling MMR needs a medium and long-term commitment, which at present international agencies find difficult to do.

NGOs need to be seen as equal partners with international agencies, providing expertise in sustainable programs.

Africa and Asia are key in achieving reduced MMR; Africa has the countries with the highest MMR, while Asia has the largest number of yearly maternal deaths.

Furthermore, governments and development agencies must be made to realize that investing in the lives of women means many social and economic benefits will ensue.

WRA will meet again before the G8 Summit in Japan in July 2008 to discuss ways to increase awareness of the need to reduce MMR around the world.