32 Letter Softball Quotes

The G8 must take concrete steps in the fight against maternal mortality

Of Potet Julien, Health Policy Advisor - Oxfam France

start with the good news that Canada, which will host the next G8 summit in late June , announced a new initiative to combat maternal mortality as a priority. Every day around the world, about a thousand women die in childbirth or soon after. The maternal mortality rates are unacceptable in sub-Saharan Africa. For example, one part in 100 in Sierra Leone ended tragically with the death of his mother.

Canadian plan to improve maternal health includes a wide range of targeted measures with proven effectiveness. All very nice. However, for the moment is very vague on substantive measures to be undertaken.

First of all, we must defend the right of women to own and control their own bodies and to control their own fertility. This applies in particular universal access to voluntary family planning, which was badly neglected by international aid in recent years. 137 million women in developing countries do not want a child at the moment, but do not have access to modern methods of contraception. Almost 15% of maternal deaths in the south are the result of unsafe abortions are often made in secret. Women must have access to urgent means of avoiding unwanted pregnancies. The Canadian Government has included in its family planning initiative. However, for reasons that have more to do with a certain idea of \u200b\u200bmorality, public health, Canada will not provide support for organizations working to make abortions safer.

Secondly, the G8 should reaffirm the importance of providing free care for all pregnant women. All our experience shows us that: when treatment is offered free of obstetrics, the percentage of births occurring in hospital with the support of qualified staff, rather than at home with traditional midwives are not adequately trained, grew so important. But of course all this costs money. The initiative for a free treatment for pregnant women and children was launched last month in Sierra Leone is expected to cost $ 91 million for 2010.

Another key measure is to train more medical professionals. There is a shortage about 4 million medical professionals worldwide, including 350,000 midwives. Moreover, because of the very unsafe working conditions and inadequate pay, too many doctors and nurses can not resist the temptation to emigrate abroad or to the private sector. They need to be encouraged to stay in the public health system, where they are needed, first by offering them decent life and decent working conditions. After decades of hard times imposed by international financial institutions, developing countries need to invest heavily in human resources of their public health systems. The G8 and international donors should not settle for declarations of intent, but I present targets.

Finally, the health infrastructure and support they need to be adequately funded. It is estimated that 15% of births requiring caesarean operations to ensure the survival of mother and child. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 2% of births by caesarean section. It 'important that the geographical units that have Caesarean sections and blood transfusions in case of post-partum haemorrhage has improved remarkably. To date, the Canadian plan is silent on this critical point.

The G8 must demonstrate political courage and should address the shortcomings of health systems in the deep south. Every year for the 49 poorest countries around the world lack 40 billion dollars over the amount needed to upgrade their health systems at the appropriate level. This is a very low cost to provide access to quality health care for all, especially for the tens of millions of women every year are at risk of dying when giving birth.

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Being a midwife working in Ghana

After nearly an hour waiting in the humid heat, dust, irritating and glia between anarchists horn of a chaotic traffic jam achimota finally arriving at the Hospital, a hospital in a district north of Accra. The long dark corridor of the main entrance leads into a vast space, where the number of patients waiting to be visited on the benches scattered. 10:30 am and is already very hot Achimota. The right wing, an area a little 'aside, the benches are occupied exclusively by women who are pregnant: this is the maternity ward. Expectant mothers, some young and others not so young, are numerous in their colorful clothes and very patiently. E 'Thursday, the day of pre-natal consultations. I just crossed the threshold of the office when they are quickly greeted by Patricia Conduah, director of obstetrics hospital.

Patricia has 55 years and has worked achimota Hospital for many years. In 35 years of work, has seen many children were born, often in difficult conditions, he says as he invites me into the delivery room. This small room has two beds obstetricians, an old metal cabinet, a table rusty, some medical matter and the pink color of the letters bear witness to the dilapidated state of the place. Patricia explains that often when both beds are already taken, you put a mattress on the floor and mothers give birth there on the ground. "It's not ideal, but we have no choice. We must do this," he adds.

There is a piece of paper on the wall. Is a list of things that mothers must bring with them the day of childbirth, sanitary towels, old clothes, antiseptics, soap, basins, etc. "We do not have the equipment and showers do not work," says Patricia. This list is given to young women during the first visit. Most of them buy these things gradually, one by one. Some women even use all nine months of pregnancy to put together these objects. Also, if a mother has the misfortune to be allergic to one of the hospital pharmacy, the insurance does not cover additional drugs to the patient and it will then pay them.

In 2008, when the Government of Ghana has developed a policy of free access to treatment for pregnant women and children under five years of age, the number of visits and consultations has increased dramatically. From 2008 to 2009, for example, there were 430,000 visits to pregnant women more than the previous year. This explains the current saturation condition of hospitals in Ghana, who are having problems keeping with this significant increase in the number of patients, such as the maternity ward of achimota able to see up to 400 people a day. This figure is all the more impressive for a hospital where there is only one physician, eight nurses and 20 midwives.
Patricia invites me then in rest room. The muffled sound of an old black and white television is the background of the room in which eight mothers and their babies are lying on beds small and worn. 'It is too small and always crowded. We need at least 20 more beds, "he says. After delivery, mothers remain under observation in this room for eight hours before to be sent home. "We do not have enough space to keep them longer," he adds. Several years ago, hospitals were not as crowded, but many more mothers and children died in childbirth.

Today, the maternity ward of achimota had the pleasure to attend births nine: seven girls and two boys.

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The Help

Of Dorothy Ngoma Executive Director of the 'National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi'

People say that aid creates dependency, which does not bring African leaders to solve their problems. I am sure that Africans want to solve their problems, but many African countries are too poor to do so. I believe that the Help will lead to independence instead, but first you need for health education and emancipation and liberation, it will take time.

aid not hinder incentives for economic growth. The aid quality and adequate quantity is instead a catalyst for growth, poor countries can not compete so, how can people uneducated, sick, stand the competition?

There is corruption in every community. To say that the aid is due to corruption is not true, if there is corruption, then face it. Of course you need a monitoring system, and the role of civil society organizations is vital. It 'clear that some individuals benefit from weak systems. There is no excuse to let people die because of corruption. The poor should not be missed because of a few corrupt people.
People say that African leaders should borrow money in financial markets, rather than receiving aid, but if countries can not then return the money should not borrow, if they can not pay would be humiliating, it would be beggars. Critics argue that
Aid to delete a 'shock therapy' seem to forget that we are dealing with human beings, with those who really struggle to live, who live below the poverty why should we still want to traumatize these people? E 'inhuman.

So I wonder, are these people ever go to a clinic where there are midwives? have never heard the voices of women and children who want to go to school?

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40 years of broken promises ... 40 days to make our voice heard!

Akhvlediani of Miranda, a member from Georgia W8

I was born in 1970, the year when the Beatles announced their split the following year that man landed on the moon for the first time.

In the same year the rich countries have promised to give 0.7% of their GDP in aid to support poor countries in providing essential services like health and education to their people.

Since then, Rich countries have promised to help poorer countries achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, aiming to provide, among other things, clean water, access to treatment and basic medicines and quality education for all.
40 years later, only a handful of countries have achieved the target of 0.7%. The MDGs are far from being achieved. Based on current projections, the MDG number 4, which aims to reduce deaths of children under five by two thirds, will not be achieved until 2045.

If the rich countries have provided what we are committed to giving in 1970, today we have been able to erase poverty in the world (at the level of 2005) for 22 times.
But 2010 is now and every day I meet people who can not afford basic health care and who suffer terribly as a result. I know there are millions of people around the world in a similar situation. I know, for example, that there are still 350 000 women and girls die each year due to complications during childbirth.

40 years of broken promises is unacceptable, we must ask rich nations to keep these commitments. Today missing 40 days at the G8 Summit in Canada , where 8 of the richest and most powerful of the world will gather. These nations have the power to change things, and to ensure that the world is back on track in achieving MDGs.

The success of aid as a tool to fight poverty has been clearly demonstrated. Over the past ten years 33 million more children are in class, and in 5 years there has been a tenfold increase in the coverage of antiretroviral treatment for HIV and AIDS.
Achieving the MDGs is still possible. We must not abandon these efforts, but on the contrary, we must maintain and improve.

So I wonder, will work with the G8 to keep its promises?
I believe it is our responsibility as civil society, to ensure that happens.

40 years of unfulfilled promise maintained are too many! Follow the next 40 days and help to ensure that the G8 leaders hear our voice!