*Read an update on the conference here.
Approximately 800 women die every day from preventable causes associated with pregnancy and childbirth, according to the World Health Organization. But many of these deaths can be prevented with access to adequate health services with skilled health providers administering essential medicines and supplies to patients.
SIAPS’ work on maternal health (MH) is specifically focused on increasing access to quality maternal health medicines for the prevention and treatment of two of the principal causes of maternal deaths: hypertensive disorders and postpartum hemorrhage. To that end, SIAPS works with international organizations and national partners to improve pharmaceutical management practices and thereby ensure that women have access to the required life-saving medicines and supplies when they need them.
At the Global Maternal Health Conference organized by the Maternal Health Task Force at the Harvard School of Public Health, USA and Management and Development for Health, Tanzania to be held in Arusha Tanzania, SIAPS will participate in a panel discussion on Improving Access to Essential Maternal Health Medicines on Tuesday January 15.
In SIAPS’ first presentation, Maheen Malik will describe an approach that aims to engage national stakeholders in a discussion of the potential medical unmet need for essential maternal health medicines and initiate a consultative process to ensure that decisions regarding future procurement of these medicines are made based on stronger evidence and consensus.
The second presentation by Jane Briggs will describe SIAPS’ work with local ministries of health (MOH) in assessing current pharmaceutical management practices that affect access to these maternal health medicines. Examples from two case studies in Africa will be presented.
Read more about SIAPS work in maternal and child health.
