Saving Mothers -- Saving Children
During November 2007 "Future Choices" heard from Save the Children compelling evidence of effective strategies for 
safeguarding the health of mothers in developing countries in order, quite literally, to save the lives of their children.
Dr. Winifride Mwebesa,
Advisor for Family Planning and Reproductive Health, cites examples from Save the Children's experience in Uganda, where a cadre of community health workers trained by Save the Children brings life-saving care right to the village level, even those communities far from clinics. Preventive health care administered right at home saves mothers from the burden of fighting for the lives of acutely ill children. And those who do fall sick can often be saved from dire consequence through quick intervention from a skilled and caring neighbor.
Here, a concerned Ungandan mother receives nutrition advice from Save the Children staffer Bekiita Martha for her 2 year-old daughter.
Ethiopian girls
seek information about HIV/AIDS from health centers where staff is trained to provide empathetic, incisive response to their concerns.
Drawing on their global experience in working with children and youth in crisis, Save the Children has understands that in order to address the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic, prevention of new HIV infections, especially among youth and others at high risk of infection, is key. In "Saving Mothers -- Saving Children" Ronnie Lovich, Save the Children's Director for HIV/AIDS programs, shares with "Future Choices" anecdotes about the way the reproductive health programs are interwoven with HIV/AIDS initiatives to ensure best outcome for young people, mothers and newborn alike.
For instance, in Bangladesh efforts to prevent transmission of HIV virus from mother to child are best launched during pregnancy. Save the Children continues to address high neonatal mortality by improving newborn care services and the practices of mothers relating to breastfeeding, keeping infants warm and dry and other essential interventions.
Each year in commemoration of Mother's Day, Save the Children publishes its State of the World’s Mothers report. This year’s report, the 8th annual, reveals that 28,000 children under age 5 die every day from easily preventable or treatable causes.
“In 2007, when we know what to do and how little it costs, that 28,000 kids are still dying each day is just plain wrong,” said David Oot, a public health expert on the team that produced the 2007 report. According to the New York Times:
In countries that progressed, a focus on family planning was central to progress, the report said. In the five countries that made the greatest strides in reducing child deaths — Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines — women’s use of contraceptives rose and fertility rates declined. In those countries, mothers were less likely to be physically depleted by having too many babies in too short a time. With fewer children, families were also able to invest more in the care of each child. [ See full article.]
Save the Children's spokesmen on "Future Choices" bring impressive credentials to bear:
- Dr. Winifride Mwebesa, the Family Planning and Reproductive Health Advisor at Save the Children, is based in Washington DC... Read further.
- Ronnie Lovich is Director, HIV/AIDS, at Save the Children...Read further .