In Nepal, a Monthly Exile for Women

New York Times Nepal

In remote western Nepal, where the Himalayas brush the sky, girls spend their childhoods as they have for generations, dreading growing up. Puberty starts a monthly exile. An entrenched, superstitious practice linked to Hinduism, Chaupadi, considers menstruating women impure and bad luck, rendering them untouchables. Menstruating women are banished, often to forests where they sleep … Continued

Nigeria gets action plan to cater for sick newborns

The Guardian Nigeria

The Federal Government has launched three new policy documents to tackle health of newborns. They are Nigeria Every Newborn Action Plan, Essential Newborn Care Course (ENCC) training package and National Chlorhexidine Scale Up Strategy document. The action plan is to serve as a roadmap that focuses on packages of interventions that address care during labour, … Continued

Highlights from the 2nd Uganda Maternal – Newborn Symposium

Makerere University Centre of Excellence for Maternal Newborn Health Research Uganda

“Clinical Appeal” Creates New Appeal in Bangladesh Rural Health

bdnews24.com Bangladesh

Not many women give birth at hospitals in Bangladesh, with only four in every 10 women delivering with the help of skilled hands. Postnatal care is also rare. But Suchitra Sutradhar is one of those few who, despite living in a remote village, gave birth at a facility and keeps coming to that centre for … Continued

Global Maternal Newborn Health Conference in Mexico delivers on all counts!

Overall the Global Maternal and Newborn Health (GMNHC) delivered on all counts of a great meeting.

Want to save 3 million lives? Improve quality of care at birth

This World Breastfeeding Week, we celebrate the health interventions that has the greatest potential impact on child survival – and doesn’t cost a dime.

Call to action to improve the health of women, children and adolescents worldwide

The 15 papers, co-authored by WHO, outline the current evidence, identify successes as well as critical gaps in progress, and highlight key priorities to end preventable deaths and build resilient and prosperous societies.

New app to calculate the size of babies using the INTERGROWTH-21st Standards

A free computer application has now been released to enable clinicians and researchers to determine, simply and quickly, centiles and z scores at birth for weight, head circumference and length.

Solar lighting increases night births in health facilities

Uganda HNN Admin

Among these interventions is a simplified solution to lighting of maternity wards using a Solar Suitcase. This is an easy-to-use power unit that provides health workers with lighting and power for mobile communication, laptop commuters and small medical devices.

MCSP and WHO Release New Evidence Brief for Augmentation of Labour

USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), along with World Health Organization, releases its latest evidence brief: Recommendations for Augmentation of Labour.