Shabana Azmi speaks for mother and child health
By indiaabroad
Friday Apr 11 6:50 PM
New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi Friday urged people to give more attention to women
and child health issues, especially for those living in rural areas.
'Health is a very important issue. Unfortunately, political parties in our country do not give it the required attention.
As it mainly concerns rural women, the issue goes completely unnoticed,' Shabana told reporters here.
'There is need for women empowerment,' she said, adding that the government, political parties and people in
general should take up the issue of women's health.
The actor was in the capital to launch White Ribbon Alliance of India's (WRAI) global campaign 'Deliver Now for
Women and Children' in India.
WRAI is an alliance of NGOs and concerned individuals from across the world. Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown, is one of the patrons of the alliance.
'Deliver Now' was launched globally Sep 26 last year in New York. It aims to lower maternal and child deaths
across the world.
Across the globe, more than half a million women die during pregnancy and of childbirth-related causes. In India,
over 300 women die during childbirth for every 100,000 live births.
Globally, over nine million children below the age of five die every year, of these 2.1 million deaths occur in India
alone. Experts say nearly 40 percent of these deaths occur in the first month of childbirth.
Shabana, who is also the ambassador for Safe Motherhood - an awareness drive by WRAI to safeguard a
mother's health during pregnancy, said maternal mortality is a very emotional issue.
'I am associated with WRAI for eight years. It is a very emotional issue. Imagine... the number of women we lose
is equivalent to 400 plane crashes in a year.'
'It is sad that on one hand our country is emerging as a global power and on the other the health issues of women
in rural areas go unnoticed. Even if it is not an institutional delivery, it is the right of every human being to give
birth without any crisis,' she said.
‘Safe motherhood’ still remains a slogan
Staff Reporter
800 mothers died in 30 months’ time in 8 districts of KBK region
White Ribbon Alliance conducts survey in State from last quarter of 2005 to September 2007
Deliver Now to be implemented in 12 districts on a pilot basis
BHUBANESWAR: National Safe Motherhood Day appears to be a slogan especially in
Orissa where mothers‟ deaths are still „alarmingly high‟.
Eight poverty-stricken districts of KBK region have lost as many as 800 mothers during 30
months time. As high as 57 per cent of these mothers lost their lives within a week of giving
birth to their children.
The disturbing figures came to the light here on Friday when „Deliver Now‟, a global
advocacy drive was launched for 12 districts of the State.
The survey was carried out by White Ribbon Alliance (WRA), Orissa from last quarter of
2005 to September 2007.
Quoting WRA survey, former director of State Health Services Seba Mohapatra said, “Forty
mothers died due to insecure pregnancy, 64 during child delivery and 696 mothers lost lives
after delivering a child.”
What is the main reason behind such high number of deaths? “We have failed to get the best
out of service provided by auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) in rural set up. As high as 60 per
cent of ANMs have not been able to provide the care needed for mothers,” WRA-Orissa
President Shaktidhar Sahoo said.
He said the government health sector too lagged behind in putting adequate infrastructure in
place to take care of mothers.
Though the institutional delivery system improved in Orissa, there had been no let up in
deaths of mother, Mr. Sahoo said elaborating that “the Janani Surakshya Yojana attracted a
large number of mothers to have institutional delivery, but there has not been enough space
available in our hospitals to keep them under observations for few more days.”
Grim situation
The situation continued to be grim as the State lost 8 to 9 mothers everyday, he said. The
figure tells the whole story.
In 1998, when 407 mothers were dying out of every 100000 live births in national level, 367
mothers‟ deaths were taking place in Orissa. But five years down the line, against the national
maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 301, (more than 100 points less than earlier figure), State‟s
MMR was 358 (an improvement of nine points).
To reduce MMR and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Deliver Now will be implemented in 12
districts on pilot basis. Based on its success, it would be extended to other parts of the
country.
Under the programme, public hearings would be conducted in targeted districts where health
service providers will face barrage of questions from people.
Moreover, attempts would be made to make general masses aware about their entitlements in
health services being provided by the government. Oriya film actor Anu Choudhury was
appointed as ambassador for the programme.
© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
‘Safe motherhood’ still remains a slogan
Staff Reporter
800 mothers died in 30 months’ time in 8 districts of KBK region
White Ribbon Alliance conducts survey in State from last quarter of 2005 to September 2007
Deliver Now to be implemented in 12 districts on a pilot basis
BHUBANESWAR: National Safe Motherhood Day appears to be a slogan especially in
Orissa where mothers‟ deaths are still „alarmingly high‟.
Eight poverty-stricken districts of KBK region have lost as many as 800 mothers during 30
months time. As high as 57 per cent of these mothers lost their lives within a week of giving
birth to their children.
The disturbing figures came to the light here on Friday when „Deliver Now‟, a global
advocacy drive was launched for 12 districts of the State.
The survey was carried out by White Ribbon Alliance (WRA), Orissa from last quarter of
2005 to September 2007.
Quoting WRA survey, former director of State Health Services Seba Mohapatra said, “Forty
mothers died due to insecure pregnancy, 64 during child delivery and 696 mothers lost lives
after delivering a child.”
What is the main reason behind such high number of deaths? “We have failed to get the best
out of service provided by auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) in rural set up. As high as 60 per
cent of ANMs have not been able to provide the care needed for mothers,” WRA-Orissa
President Shaktidhar Sahoo said.
He said the government health sector too lagged behind in putting adequate infrastructure in
place to take care of mothers.
Though the institutional delivery system improved in Orissa, there had been no let up in
deaths of mother, Mr. Sahoo said elaborating that “the Janani Surakshya Yojana attracted a
large number of mothers to have institutional delivery, but there has not been enough space
available in our hospitals to keep them under observations for few more days.”
Grim situation
The situation continued to be grim as the State lost 8 to 9 mothers everyday, he said. The
figure tells the whole story.
In 1998, when 407 mothers were dying out of every 100000 live births in national level, 367
mothers‟ deaths were taking place in Orissa. But five years down the line, against the national
maternal mortality rate (MMR) of 301, (more than 100 points less than earlier figure), State‟s
MMR was 358 (an improvement of nine points).
To reduce MMR and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Deliver Now will be implemented in 12
districts on pilot basis. Based on its success, it would be extended to other parts of the
country.
Under the programme, public hearings would be conducted in targeted districts where health
service providers will face barrage of questions from people.
Moreover, attempts would be made to make general masses aware about their entitlements in
health services being provided by the government. Oriya film actor Anu Choudhury was
appointed as ambassador for the programme.
© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
Issue Date: Saturday , April 12 , 2008
Safe motherhood message for state
- Maternal Mortality Rate alarm in daylong workshop
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Bhubaneswar, April 11: A woman dies every seven minutes from
complications related to pregnancy and childbirth in India and in Orissa nine
women die every day from the same cause.
Orissa’s Maternal mortality rate (MMR) may have reduced from 367 per 1 lakh
childbirths in 1993 to 358 deaths per 1 lakh births in 2003, but there is yet to be
a significant reduction. Participants at the “Know your entitlements and demand
for quality healthcare service” organised today on the eve of National Safe
Motherhood Day discussed ways to curb this fatal rate.
Health minister Sanatan Bisi
felicitates Anusuya Dash Choudhury
The event, a workshop, was organised by White Ribbon Alliance (WRA),
on Friday. Picture by Sanjib
Mukherjee
Orissa, in collaboration with the state health and family welfare, Unicef and
UNFPA. WRA is a global movement to save mothers from pregnancy and
childbirth related deaths that started in 1999. The objective of the programme was to make women and families
aware of their entitlements under schemes and policies taken up by the state government. On the eve of the
National Safe Motherhood Day, the WRA, Orissa, urged the government to empower women towards a better
utilisation of services and access to facility.
Policy makers including portfolio holders promised to fulfil health needs and aspiration of the mass and make
them equal to the declared Indian Public Standards.
“Unless we empower women to know their rights and ensure quality, accessible maternal health care, then the
MMR would be beyond our reach and would take a decade to be at a par with the declared Millennium
Development Goal-5,” said family welfare minister, Sanatan Bisi.
WRA partners from 30 districts, NGO activists, government officials, and representatives from professional forums
urged that women must have the right to highest attainable standards of health and access to emergency
obstetric services.
In a bid to mobilise public support and reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths, WRA, Orissa, in collaboration
with Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health initiated a new advocacy drive through the “Deliver now
for women & children”.
“Deliver Now” would be a new advocacy drive to address the issue.
Actress Anusuya Dash Chaudhry was announced the safe motherhood ambassador for WRA, Orissa.
BOLLYWOOD Friday, April 11, 2008
Shabana Azmi speaks for mother and child health
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From correspondents in Delhi, India, 07:00 PM IST
Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi Friday urged people to give more attention to women and child
health issues, especially for those living in rural areas.
'Health is a very important issue. Unfortunately, political parties in our country do not give it the
required attention. As it mainly concerns rural women, the issue goes completely unnoticed,' Shabana
told reporters here.
'There is need for women empowerment,' she said, adding that the government, political parties and
people in general should take up the issue of women's health.
The actor was in the capital to launch White Ribbon Alliance of India's (WRAI) global campaign
'Deliver Now for Women and Children' in India.
WRAI is an alliance of NGOs and concerned individuals from across the world. Sarah Brown, wife of
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is one of the patrons of the alliance.
'Deliver Now' was launched globally Sep 26 last year in New York. It aims to lower maternal and child
deaths across the world.
Across the globe, more than half a million women die during pregnancy and of childbirth-related
causes. In India, over 300 women die during childbirth for every 100,000 live births.
Globally, over nine million children below the age of five die every year, of these 2.1 million deaths
occur in India alone. Experts say nearly 40 percent of these deaths occur in the first month of
childbirth.
Shabana, who is also the ambassador for Safe Motherhood - an awareness drive by WRAI to
safeguard a mother's health during pregnancy, said maternal mortality is a very emotional issue.
'I am associated with WRAI for eight years. It is a very emotional issue. Imagine... the number of
women we lose is equivalent to 400 plane crashes in a year.'
'It is sad that on one hand our country is emerging as a global power and on the other the health
issues of women in rural areas go unnoticed. Even if it is not an institutional delivery, it is the right of
every human being to give birth without any crisis,' she said.
(Staff Writer, © IANS)
Friday, April 11, 2008
National Safe Motherhood Day
The White Ribbon Alliance India (WRAI) held a press conference to mark
the launch of their global campaign “Deliver Now for Women and children’
in India on the eve of National Safe Motherhood Day. The press
conference was addressed by Shabana Azmi, Ambassador for Safe
Motherhood, Subir Mallik, Youth Icon for Safe Motherhood, Dr Vinod Paul,
Representative, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health,
Nasim Tumkaya, Resident Representative to India, UNFPA and Dr Duru
Shah, Past President, FOGSI.
This global alliance of organizations and committed individuals has been
working with Indian government to ensure safe pregnancy and safe child
birth across the country since 1999. The campaign strives to enhance
government involvement as well as better investment in health services,
training of doctors and medical assistance in rural areas.
Shabana Azmi, a noted actor, activist and a former member of parliament
pointed out the grave situation of mothers in the country. “In India,
women mortality rate during child birth during a week is more than the
figure in Europe for a whole year. More than 70% of these deaths are
avoidable. We need to have skilled and institutional delivery system for
mothers and stop this situation from turning into crisis.”
Shaken by a personal experience and shocked by the figures, Subir Mallik,
a member of Indian band Parikrama has joined hands with the
organization as a Youth Icon. “I would like to make an effort to educate
the youth about teenage pregnancy and complications related to it. We
will include links on our site for Parikrama and put stalls during our
concerts as it will directly address large number of young people.”
Talking about the way to reach the rural population, Dr Duru Shah said,
“FOGSI (Federation of Gynecologist of India), with its fleet of 24,000
gynecologists across country will train public sector doctors for four
months to handle child birth and emergency cases followed by their
accreditation after an examination. Also, member doctors of FOGSI and
private nursing homes will be providing their services on a subsidised rate
for the rural population.” Dr Aparajita Gogoi, National Coordinator of
WRAI, added, “1500 NGOs, UNO and WRAI members will be working
round the clock in rural India, teaching women and young girls, starting
with 12 districts of Orissa.”
Now…
Point 1: Will the fund trickle down to the needy? (Wow, what a cliché!!!)
Point 2: How are famous faces going to help the people tucked away in a
dusty village in some corner of the country?
Point 3: How long will media remember that 11th of April is National Safe
Motherhood Day (it was declared way back in 2003!!)?
Posted by Nidhi Raj Singh at 10:06 AM