The MHTF, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with technical support from USAID, supports the Maternal Health Dialogue Series at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWIC) in Washington, DC. The series is covering a range of emerging and neglected maternal health issues, with a strategic focus on linkages to other development sectors such as transportation, gender equity, religion, and poverty. Tapping expertise from around the world, especially from experts working in developing countries, the monthly series webcast live.
Audiences for these dialogues at the Woodrow Wilson Center usually comprise senior-level policy makers and civil servants from the US Government and from foreign consuls and missions located in Washington DC,as well as educational institutions from around the world. A pilot partnership with the African Population and Health Research Center simulcasts parallel dialogues for jointly convened audiences in Nairobi, Kenya and Washington, DC.
Below are the lists of upcoming and past programs. Dates and times for future programs are dependent on the availability and confirmation of presenters. Check the WWIC and MHTF websites often for updates and announcements on confirmed event dates. We anticipate that these announcements will only post a few weeks in advance of each program.
You can also click here to receive an alert when an event date is confirmed.
Upcoming Events
December 15, 2011
One of the few forums dedicated to maternal health, the Woodrow Wilson Center’s 2009-2011 Advancing Dialogue on Maternal Health series brought together senior-level policymakers, academic researchers, members of the media, and NGO workers from the U.S. and abroad. This year, in Kenya, the Wilson Center and African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) convened two workshops on neglected maternal health issues with field workers and members of the Kenyan parliament.
To meet the challenges in maternal health, the series’ speakers recommended using existing, low-cost solutions that build on our current knowledge base. Today’s event will launch Delivering Solutions: Advancing Dialogue To Improve Maternal Health, which captures, analyzes, and synthesizes the strategies and recommendations that emerged from the series.
Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are often at the frontline of healthcare in developing countries and have networks in the most remote regions. Their close links to communities provide them with an opportunity to promote behavior change and address other cultural factors contributing to maternal mortality rates such as early marriage and family planning. Working in collaboration with FBOs and other stakeholders is critical to promoting demand for maternal and reproductive health services; however, limited knowledge about faith-based maternal healthcare exists.
Today's discussion will highlight successes and challenges in the field and will highlight the lessons and knowledge gaps identified during a Wilson Center workshop in Washington DC with 30 experts from the faith-based and maternal health communities.
Nabeela Ali, chief of party, PAIMAN, will discuss the project's strategy for sensitizing Pakistani ulamas (religious leaders) and encouraging them to advocate for maternal health in sermons and lectures. Jamila AlSharie, community mobilizer, Pathfinder International, will share lessons learned working with faith-based leaders to address cultural and religious attitudes towards family planning in Yemen. Elidon Bardhi, country director Bangladesh, ADRA, will discuss how ADRA works through nutrition, hygiene and skill training programs to improve maternal health and empower women to overcome patriarchal traditions. Mallam Kabir Abdullahi, team leader, NUHRHI, will present the initiative's private-public model working with religious leaders. Strategies and recommendations identified during the Wilson Center workshop in Washington DC will be provided by Katherine Marshall, executive director, World Faiths Development Dialogue.
The Wilson Center's Global Health Initiative returned to Nairobi and co-hosted a two-day workshop on October 17-18 with Kenyan policymakers, community health workers, midwives, program managers, and donors who identified key action steps for improving the health system through a maternal health framework. Live from the Nairobi workshop, Kenyan participants shared their strategies during a live videoconference with the Woodrow Wilson Center and engaged in a lively discussion with the Washington audience about the recommendations created during the in-country session.
For every mother that dies in childbirth another 20 women experience acute chronic morbidities or "near misses" that would otherwise result in death. The scope of maternal morbidities is diverse and the most prevalent types include anemia, fistula, infertility, uterine prolapse and maternal depression. Morbidities can cause serious pain, stigma, and suffering as well as negative social and economic consequences. Additional data is needed to measure the prevalence and effects of morbidities and safe motherhood programs should expand their focus to address these life-altering conditions.
Ann Blanc, Director, MHTF, chaired the dialogue session and discussed the prevalence of maternal morbidities in developing countries. Karen Hardee, President, Hardee Associates, highlighted programmatic approaches to address different types of morbidities and recommended key actions to improve maternal morbidity. Karen Beattie, Project Director, Fistula Care at EngenderHealth, discussed the fistula morbidity and shared lessons learned in prevention and treatment. Marge Koblinsky, Senior Technical Advisor, John Snow Inc., presented a case study of maternal morbidity in Bangladesh and the mental, social, and economic impact of morbidity on women and their families.
The Wilson Center's Global Health Initiative travelled to Nairobi to co-host a two-day workshop on July 12-13 with Kenyan policymakers, community health workers, program managers, media, and donors who will discuss Kenya's maternal health challenges and identify solutions for moving the maternal health agenda forward. Live from the Nairobi workshop, panelists participated in a dialogue with the Wilson Center audience and presented new maternal health research and shared the recommendations identified during the in-country session.
Geoffrey Mumia Osaaji, professor, University of Nairobi, presented new maternal health data and discussed Kenya's maternal mortality trends. Lawrence Ikamari, Director, PSRI, shared the knowledge and capacity gaps identified by workshop participants and highlighted policies and funding priorities required to increase the uptake of antenatal and postnatal care in Kenya. Strategies and recommendations identified during the Nairobi workshop were provided by Dr. Margaret Meme, former head of maternal and child health, Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation.
According to the UNFPA, more people now live in urban settings than rural, and projections estimate global urban population growth will double by 2030. Health care services in many urban areas have not kept pace with rapid population growth, and despite their relative proximity to services compared to rural areas, women living in the resulting slums do not necessarily have access to higher quality maternal health care. In cities like Nairobi, maternal mortality rates in urban slums are higher than the country's average. Monitoring the health needs of urban slums is a serious challenge and these marginalized populations often fall through the cracks as they receive little attention from researchers, donors, NGOs, and governments.
Anthony Kolb, urban health advisor for USAID discussed the challenges of tracking health indicators in urban slums and how "slum mapping" can be utilized to improve maternal health. Catherine Kyobutungi, director of health systems and challenges for APHRC in Kenya, discussed the status of maternal health in Nairobi's informal settlements and shared lessons learned translating research into policy action. Luc De Bernis, senior advisor on maternal health in Africa at UNFPA, discussed family planning interventions used to improve maternal mortality rates in informal settings.
"We cannot simply seek to do more of the same…using currently available tools and technologies," said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah in his recent Barmes Global Health Lecture at the National Institutes of Health. In order to meet the challenges of improving maternal and child health, new tools and innovations must be developed that complement proven interventions and offer long-term solutions. The private sector's unique capacity to develop and scale up technologies provides a significant opportunity for collaboration. The panel will discuss their experiences working across development sectors to create and disseminate innovative nutrition and health technologies for women and children and present recommendations for working with the private sector for better results
Hugh Chang, director of special initiatives at PATH, presented examples from PATH's 30-year history of partnering with the private sector and address the effectiveness of these collaborations in meeting the needs of mothers and children. Laura McLaughlin, environmental engineer at Cascade Designs, Inc., presented a private-sector-perspective and discuss opportunities for collaboration with NGOs and governments to improve health in resource-poor-settings. Sandhya Rao, senior private sector advisor at USAID discussed current U.S. government strategies for promoting innovation and technology to improve health and nutrition outcomes.
Maternal nutrition is often overlooked as a key strategy to reducing poverty, yet research demonstrates that prioritizing women and children at the center of nutrition intervention programs creates significant opportunities to improve survival and enhance economic development. In order to stimulate reform at national and international levels, increased research, funding, and strategic coordination will be necessary.
Amy Webb Girard, assistant professor at Emory University discussed the nutritional needs of mothers, such as anemia and iron supplementation, and addressed how putting mothers and children at the center of nutritional interventions saves lives. Doyin Oluwole, director of Africa's Health in 2010 at the Academy for Educational Development, addressed the relationship between nutrition and poverty and the implications for the development community, including how under-nutrition affects the Millennium Development Goals.
Postpartum hemorrhage, eclampsia, and unsafe abortion are some of the leading causes of maternal deaths in developing countries. Maternal health supplies such as oxytocin, misoprostol, manual vacuum aspirators, and magnesium sulfate are crucial tools needed for effective interventions to address these issues. In order to expand access to these maternal health commodities increased research and coordination is needed to improve supply chain mechanisms and health care training.
Melodie Holden, president, Venture Strategies Innovations, discussed what maternal health supplies are available and shared lessons learned for distributing these supplies to trained health care workers. Elizabeth Leahy Madsen, senior research associate, Population Action International, discussed the access challenges and gaps in supply chain mechanisms. The event was moderated by Julia Bunting, Team Leader of AIDS & Reproductive Health, Department for International Development (DFID); and Coalition Chair, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition.
In developing countries, the women most in need are often the most isolated, but mobile and web technologies are emerging as a way to bridge this gap and improve maternal health. Technologies such as SMS text messaging provide mothers, health care workers, and institutions with up-to-the-minute information critical to saving lives and building local capacity.
David Aylward, executive director of mHealth Alliance at the UN Foundation explained how mobile and other emerging technologies such as digital games can facilitate the continuum of care for maternal health. Alain Labrique, assistant professor at John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, presented data on mobile use in obstretric crises in rural Bangladesh and discuss opportunities, challenges and priorities for maternal and neonatal mHealth interventions in resource-limited settings. Josh Nesbit, executive director of FrontlineSMS: Medic, discussed the role of collaborative partnerships and share challenges and lessons learned for scaling up existing technologies.
Investing in women and girls health is smart economics. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) women contribute to a majority of small businesses in the developing world and their unpaid work on the farm and at home account for one-third of the world's GDP. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates that maternal and newborn deaths cost the world $15 billion in lost productivity.
Mayra Buvinic, sector director of the gender and development group of the World Bank, addressed the economic impact of maternal deaths and the role of education and gender equality on economic development. Dr. Nomonde Xundu, health attaché at the Embassy of South Africa in Washington DC discussed the policy implications of maternal health and share lessons learned in empowering women and girl's economic status in South Africa. Mary Ellen Stanton, senior maternal health advisor of USAID, presented the foreign policy and economic case for increased donor investment in maternal health.
Access to skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care are key solutions to improving maternal morality, yet functioning referral systems and poor road infrastructure delay efficient care. Increased research, funding, knowledge sharing, and coordination between private and public sectors are necessary to make transportation and referral a global health priority.
Víctor Conde Altamirano, obstetric nets manager, CARE-Bolivia discussed how transportation and referral data is being incorporated into Bolivia's health system to improve maternal health. John Koku Awoonor-Williams, east regional director, Ghana Health Service, addressed the utilization and maintenance of ambulances in rural Ghana. Subodh Satyawadi, chief operating officer, GVK Emergency Management Institute discussed the lessons learned and challenges faced through India's "Emergency 108" call system. Strategies and recommendations identified at the Wilson Center workshop in Washington DC were provided by Patricia Bailey, public health specialist, Family Health International.
Countries threatened by conflict rank lowest on maternal and newborn health indicators and have fewer resources for reproductive health services such as family planning and emergency obstetric care. Improving access to sexual and reproductive health services in fragile states may challenge cultural beliefs and gender relations within a country. Program managers, policymakers, and donors can mitigate these tensions through culturally sensitive approaches and increased female participation during peacebuilding efforts.
Nabila Zar Malick, director, Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan, Karima Tunau, OB/GYN, Usmanu Danpodiyo Hospital in Nigeria, and Grace Kodindo, Chadian OB/GYN and assistant professor of population and family health, at Columbia University discussed their experiences implementing family planning services in Pakistan, Nigeria, and Chad and address the cultural and financial barriers they overcame to increase investments for maternal and reproductive health in their countries. Sandra Krause, reproductive health program director, Women's Refugee Commission, offered recommendations on how policymakers can improve access to reproductive health services for women in fragile settings.
Increasing investments for strengthening health systems requires improved donor coordination and additional research to help guide decisions about where investments will have the greatest return. The inclusion of key maternal health indicators such as access to emergency obstetric care is an important strategy to improving health systems and encourages the implementation of priority evidence-based interventions.<
The event featured presentations and discussion with Julio Frenk, Dean of the Harvard University School of Public Health; Helen de Pinho, Assistant Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University; and Agnes Soucat, Senior Health Economist & Lead Advisor for Health, Nutrition and Population with the World Bank.
Dr. Seble Frehywot, assistant research professor of health policy and global health at George Washington University, addressed the motivation and methods for task sharing. Dr. Jeffrey Smith, regional technical director for Asia at Jhpiego, discussed his field work experience developing workforce plans for midwives and traditional birth attendants, including in Afghanistan. Pape Gaye, president & CEO of IntraHealth, discussed the importance of retention and other long-term strategies in human resources for maternal health.
Dr. Charles Kamenga of Family Health International pointed out the many good reasons to integrate services and called contraception the "best kept secret in HIV prevention." He showed that providing HIV positive women who do not wish to become pregnant with contraceptive services can avert thousands of HIV infections among infants. Michele Moloney Kitts of the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, shared her thoughts on the many opportunities to integrate services, including linking family planning services with services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), introducing emergency obstetric care and neonatal resuscitation into PMTCT training, and incorporating cervical cancer screening into treatment services for HIV-positive women. She also suggested that President Barack Obama's forthcoming Global Health Initiative will put greater emphasis on HIV and AIDS and on maternal and reproductive health services. Harriet Birungi, from the Population Council, described her research with HIV-positive adolescent girls in Kenya and Uganda. She highlighted findings showing that many HIV positive girls are sexually active, yet the majority are not using contraception and, among those who become pregnant, many do not receive PMTCT services. Integrating HIV treatment services with sexual and reproductive health services for this group should be a programmatic priority. The research also shows that provider attitudes are a barrier as is creating effective linkages between HIV and AIDS centers and maternal and child health clinics.
