- Conference
- 2008 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 25 October 2007
- Decision
- Carried
In 1987, a special conference called the Safe Motherhood Conference was held in Nairobi. It launched a global initiative to reduce maternal mortality in developing countries. At the time, at least one woman died from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth every minute – a staggering 529,000 deaths every year. In addition, for every woman who died in childbirth, between 20 and 30 more suffered injury, infection or disease – approximately 10 million women each year.
In 2000, in New York, the United Nations met the General Assembly adopted the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration. The declaration included the eight Millennium Development Goals, number 5 of which is a commitment to reduce the maternal mortality rate by 75% by 2015.
This conference is both shocked and saddened to note that despite the passage of twenty years these figures have barely changed. Women are still needlessly dying in childbirth. What is needed is access to information and support for women, allowing women to take control of their reproductive health, helping them through pregnancy, and providing care for them and their newborn well into childhood. The vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women had access to quality family planning services, skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and the first month after delivery, or post – abortion care services and safe abortion services. A working health system with skilled personnel is the key to saving women’s lives, providing basic maternal care costs about £1.50 per person per year in low – income countries.
In 2005, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Childbirth was launched. The Partnership is a global health partnership which joins the maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) communities into an alliance of 130 members to ensure that all women, infants and children not only remain healthy but thrive. It is hosted by the World Health Organisation and their vision is to create a world where all women and children receive the care they need to live healthy, productive lives.
Conference calls on the National Women’s committee to :
1)Work with the Regional Women’s committee to raise the issue of maternal deaths throughout the wider union
2)Urge the NEC to apply for membership of the Partnership and to become an active member
3)To liaise with the NEC’s international committee to investigate alternative ways in which UNISON can help end the disgrace of these unnecessary deaths.
4)To report back to the 2009 National Women’s Conference on progress to date.