Act Now to Support Bill on Fistula Prevention & Treatment

Urge your Representatives in Congress to cosponsor critical legislation on obstetric fistula that will bring hope and dignity to mothers across the globe.

Introduced in March by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), H.R. 949 supports increased assistance for fistula prevention and treatment initiatives abroad. These efforts include improving maternal health care, strengthening national health systems, increasing the number of skilled birth attendants, as well as addressing underlying the social and economic causes of fistula.

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A Congressional Briefing: Ending Fistula Forever

On May 24, EngenderHealth joined with legislators, advocates, and health experts on Capitol Hill to discuss progress in preventing and treating obstetric fistula around the world. Together with our partners in the Campaign to End Fistula, we highlighted not just the heartbreaking stories of women living with fistula, but a vision of strong, healthy mothers—one that is only possible when women have access to quality maternal health care. The goal of the event, hosted by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), was to garner support for H.R. 949, a bill supporting increased assistance for fistula prevention and treatment.

Alliance Launches HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination Website

A new website for the Stigma Action Network (SAN) is now live, offering a clearinghouse of information for experts working in HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

This network aims to support a global alliance of practitioners, researchers, advocates, people living with HIV, and donors by providing a one-stop shop for sharing and exchanging information about HIV stigma and discrimination.

The SAN steering committee includes EngenderHealth, Colectivo Sol, Futures Group, The Communication Hub and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance Africa Regional Programme. The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) serves as the network’s technical secretariat and will manage SAN’s daily functions for the next three years.

Read more.

Shang Ring™ Device Shows Promise for Helping to Prevent HIV among Men

Results of a study conducted by EngenderHealth and Weill Cornell Medical College and published in the May issue of JAIDS show that the Shang Ring has the potential to revolutionize the provision of male circumcision services in Africa and help prevent the spread of HIV among men. First developed in China, the Shang Ring is a novel device for adult male circumcision, which has been shown to reduce HIV transmission by up to 64%. Compared with conventional surgery, the Shang Ring significantly reduces risk and procedure time for patients. Health professionals of all skill levels can also be trained to use the device, which is key in low-resource settings. Read more.

Alliance Launches HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination Website

A new website for the Stigma Action Network (SAN) is now live, offering a clearinghouse of information for experts working in HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

This network aims to support a global alliance of practitioners, researchers, advocates, people living with HIV, and donors by providing a one-stop shop for sharing and exchanging information about HIV stigma and discrimination.

The SAN steering committee includes EngenderHealth, Colectivo Sol, Futures Group, The Communication Hub and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance Africa Regional Programme.

Read more.

The Smile of a Healthy Mother

Rashida Begum, 32, experienced severe bleeding after each of her five deliveries, which left her weak and in need of costly medical attention. But after learning from an EngenderHealth-trained health worker about misoprostol, an inexpensive drug that is used to stop postpartum hemorrhage, Rashida safely delivered twin babies and was healthy and strong enough to care for her newborns. Read Rashida’s story.

Approved Budget Cuts Repro Health Funding, Excludes Global Gag Rule

April 19, 2011 – Following months of intense debate, Congress passed a budget (H.R.1473) on April 14 to fund the government for the rest of fiscal year 2011. While it excludes some of the more extreme policy riders proposed by the House, it still includes cuts to sexual and reproductive health programs. Below are select health highlights from the bill:

- $615 million for international family planning and reproductive health programs, which represents a 5% reduction from FY 2010 levels of $648.5 million. The $615 million includes $575 million for bilateral family planning programs provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

- $40 million contribution to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which is $15 million lower than FY 2010 and reverts back to FY 2008 spending levels.

- Maintains funding for Title X family planning programs in the United States and for domestic teenage pregnancy prevention programs that House lawmakers sought to cut.

- Excludes policy riders such as the Global Gag Rule and a ban on U.S. contributions to the UNFPA that House lawmakers also proposed to include.

Overall, the measure reduces spending by $38.5 billion from FY 2010 levels and represents the largest non-defense reduction in history. The bill passed in the House (260-167) and in the Senate (91-19).

Thank you for your support in writing Congress and spreading the word over the last few months, which helped avert some of the most devastating cuts to women’s health sought by House lawmakers.

World Health Organization: Significant Decline in Deaths from Unsafe Abortion

Significantly fewer women are dying from unsafe abortion today, a sign that interventions to improve postabortion care are effective and save lives, according to a new report from the World Health Organization.

Between 2003 and 2008, deaths related to unsafe abortion fell about 16% globally-from 56,000 to 47,000-despite an overall increase in the number of unsafe abortions. Today, complications from unsafe abortion account for 13% of all maternal deaths. The vast majority of women dying from unsafe abortions are in the least developed countries, including parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. More than one-third of these deaths happen in countries with stringent abortion laws or where women have limited or no access to contraception.

One of those countries is Tanzania, where complications from abortion are a leading cause of maternal death. Through the ACQUIRE Tanzania Project (ATP), EngenderHealth has partnered with the Tanzanian government since 2004 to improve availability of services for comprehensive postabortion care (cPAC) in rural areas. Previously, these services were only available at regional hospitals, which were too far away for many women to receive timely emergency care.

Together with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, EngenderHealth's ATP is decentralizing cPAC services so that medical personnel at local health facilities are trained to treat complications from unsafe abortion. ATP also works with community leaders to reduce the stigma around abortion, which is illegal in Tanzania, so that community leaders can spread information about the availability of both cPAC and family planning services.

In addition to cPAC, ATP is expanding access to family planning nationwide, which is key to reducing unplanned pregnancies and pregnancy-related deaths. Indeed, between 2004 and 2009, maternal deaths in Tanzania dropped to 454 deaths per 100,000 live births (from 578 deaths per 100,000 in 2004), according to the 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey.

Lawmakers Take New Steps to Prevent and Treat Obstetric Fistula

Congressional leaders are taking a new step toward ending obstetric fistula by introducing “The Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope and Dignity Restoration Act” (H.R. 949). Leading global advocates applaud this legislation, introduced on International Women’s Day (March 8), which will support the variety of interventions needed to effectively treat and prevent this condition.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), together with Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Pete Stark (D-CA).

Read a March 10 joint statement from EngenderHealth, the International Women’s Health Coalition, and the United Methodist Church.

"The Best Investment in Global Women's Health"

On March 8, 2011, as part of our larger effort to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, EngenderHealth President Pamela W. Barnes and Global Health Council President Jeffrey Sturchio addressed “The Best Investment in Global Women’s Health" at The Huffington Post.