ahmed_voices changing lives for mothers and newborns in asia

8/2/2019 Ahmed_Voices Changing Lives for Mothers and Newborns in Asia

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WRA Voices:Changing Lives for

Mothers & Newborns

Dr. Farhana Ahmad

White Ribbon Alliance

Bangladesh

May 6, 2012


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In some cultures white

symbolises mourning; inothers it symbolises hope and

life. Our white ribbon is

dedicated to the memory ofall girls and women who died

needlessly in pregnancy and

childbirth.


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WRA Mission

The WRA is a grassroots movementthat builds alliances, strengthenscapacity, influences policies,

harnesses resources and inspiresaction to save the lives of women andnewborns around the world.


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Global Advocacy Objectives

Governments Held to Account to Improve

Maternal Health

Health Workers Better Supported to Provide

Care for Women

A Standard Established for Respectful

Maternity Care

Rights Realised for Girls and Women

A Strengthened Alliance


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National Objectives

The right policies

Sufficient resources

Delivery and implementation of commitments Girls and women have the information they

need to demand a safe pregnancy and

childbirth


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Nepal

Successes

Safe Motherhood and Neonatal Health Bill

Raising voice and making safe motherhood a

national issue when it was not on anyone's

horizon in Nepal in 1996

Keeping the pressure on the Government and

Donors to continue to work in this issue and

creating a large network of active NGO

volunteers


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Nepal

Challenges Lack of secretariat support

Lack of funds to train members on technical

issues Poltical instability


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Yemen

Successes

Safe Age of Marriage Bill

Development of a film, Upcoming Hope whichtalks about the 4 delay model

Advocacy for safe motherhood among youth

A committee of alliance in 1 new governorate


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Yemen

Challenges Limited administrative and financial capacity within

the Alliance.

Limited understanding of the concept of volunteer

work.

Limited independent financial resources for the

alliance


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Pakistan

Successes

Grant awarded to promote Magnesium

Sulphate as a norm for the prevention andtreatment of Eclampsia

Local chapters in Punjab and Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa provinces

A documentary on the importance of skilled

birth attendants


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PakistanChallenges

Decentralising of the Federally administered

Ministry of Health to the provincial level

Continuity of vertical programmes in the

health sector,accessibility to health services

and availability of skilled birth attendants


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BangladeshSuccesses

Analysis of the National Budget to understand the

allocations of funds for maternal health

Orientation of the key influencers for maternal health

-Parliamentarians

-Media

-Leaders of influence

Talkshows highlighting priority issues for maternalhealth with policymakers and lawmakers

Identification of key strategies to promote public

sector accountability for maternal health


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Bangladesh

Challenges:

Retention of skilled workforce for maternal and

newborn health Single donor dependence

Keeping volunteers engaged in the work of the

Alliance


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India

Successes Social accountability at the grassroots level

through,

-public hearing-checklist to track availability of services at the

health centers

-verbal maternal death audits

-working with media and elected

representatives

-mobilisation on entitlements


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India

Systematic policy review and a subsequent

design of a grassroots campaign on birth

preparedness and complication readiness

50 celebrity champions mobilised in

promoting safe motherhood awareness


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IndiaChallenges

Funding and sustainability

Lack of support for social accountability

programmes

Maintaining volunteerism and finding

Technical Assistance for the State Alliances


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Indonesia

Successes

Broadcast Partnership with Radio Republic of

Indonesia

First Lady Patron

Social Media and partnering with youth clubs,

universities and midwifery academies

Health Promotion Program on Clean & Healthy

Behavior and Safe Motherhood in 5 provinces

and 10 Districts with MOH


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Indonesia

Alert Villages- Desa Siaga

Mother and child health books

Monthly village forum attended by the Head of

Village, Head of Sub-District, youth organizations and

religious leaders

Educational outreach programs for teenage girls, ages15 and above


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Indonesia

Challenges

Advocacy in 17,000 islands , divided into 33provinces, 560 districts and more than 70,000

villages which have their own priorities which are

political issues


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We need

to break

the silence

around maternal deaths.

To do that,

we need your voiceand the voices

of your friends, families,

and policymakersto send a clear message:

Invest in Women -- It Pays!

-Women Deliver


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Thank you!www.whiteribbonalliance.org
http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/

ahmed_voices changing lives for mothers and newborns in asia

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