Midwifery is a vital solution—What is holding back global progress?

Introduction We need look no further than midwifery for compelling evidence of gender inequalities blocking progress in global health. Despite growing evidence of the extensive impact of midwifery,1-6 midwives and the women they care for are disempowered by patriarchal structures and professional, socio‐cultural, and economic barriers.7, 8 Widespread misunderstanding of the role and...

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Monitoring the quality of care for Nigerian mothers and newborns using DHIS2

Gombe State in northeastern Nigeria bears a very high burden of maternal and neonatal mortality, with mortality rates estimated at 576 per 100,000 live births and 37 per 1,000 live births, respectively. In an effort to address this problem, the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency is committed to...

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Share Your Population-based Data on Stillbirths and/or Intrapartum Stillbirths!

The estimated 2.6 million stillbirths in 2015 form an important part of the unfinished agenda for maternal and newborn health in the SDG era. The Every Newborn Action Plan and the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health both call for stronger evidence to accelerate the progress to prevent...

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Improving breastfeeding practices at scale

Blog adapted from a comment in The Lancet Global Health here This comment is in response to a journal article published in The Lancet Global Health here. Early initiation of and exclusive and continued breastfeeding are among the most effective interventions to reduce infant and child morbidity and mortality. These...

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