Global Advocacy and Engagement
Overview
AMDD works worldwide to influence maternal and newborn health policies and strategies at the global, regional, and national levels.
We engage politicians, policymakers, civil society leaders, academics, and public health and human rights groups in support of strengthening health systems to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. We aim to foster dialogue and innovation within the maternal and newborn health community to promote evidence-based approaches to meeting Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5
Making change: Using research to inform our advocacy
We advocate for a human rights-based approach to address problems within the health system that limit access to life-saving care for women and newborns.
Our research activities in emergency obstetric care (EmONC), human resources for maternal survival, and other areas of the health system help form the evidence base we use when advocating for policy and program change. We also draw upon real world experiences in service delivery from our earlier field projects that focused on improving access to EmOC in 18 developing countries.
Making change: Advocating for a greater focus on implementation
The maternal and newborn health community has come to a general consensus on which interventions, including EmOC, reduce maternal and newborn mortality. On the ground, there are immense challenges to implementing these interventions – no matter how sound the strategy.
In response, AMDD has been calling for increased attention to implementation. We need to focus on specific and practical steps that build the capacity of national health systems to translate policy into services that reach women and newborns. The next critical step in reducing maternal and newborn mortality is learning how health systems – within the context of their countries’ specific economic, social, and political environments – can ensure access to interventions equitably and at scale.
AMDD engagements
Conferences
We also participate in and organize conferences to promote rights-based, health systems oriented approaches. In 2009, we organized Human Resources for Maternal Survival: Task Shifting to Non-Physician Clinicians, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Initiatives
We also participate in:
- The International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights
- The Million Mums Campaign
- The Maternal Health Taskforce
- The Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health
- The White Ribbon Alliance
AMDD helped found the first civil society human rights effort aimed at reducing maternal mortality
In 2007, AMDD helped to found The International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights (IIMMHR), which works to promote government accountability and increased resources for reducing maternal mortality. The Initiative also provides expertise to address maternal mortality as a human rights issue.
AMDD is a member of the IIMMHR steering committee along with several other international, regional, and national civil society organizations.
Our work is urgent
- Over 7 million pregnancy-related deaths, including maternal deaths, newborn deaths, and stillbirths happen each year. That’s 50% more than the annual deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.
- 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries.
- 75% of maternal deaths can be prevented by skilled health care providers backed up by emergency obstetric care (EmOC).
- We have until 2015 to reduce maternal deaths by 75% to meet Millennium Development Goal 5. We can’t do this without strong health systems that ensure universal access to EmOC.