Governments unite to save women's lives.

M2 PRESSWIRE-14 November 2000-WORLD BANK GROUP: Governments unite to save women's lives (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:13112000

TUNIS -- Senior government officials from 11 countries, and representatives from the United Nations and non-governmental organizations gathered today to devise national strategies to reduce the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth.

The conference, "Saving Lives: Skilled Attendance at Childbirth," is sponsored by the Tunisian Ministry of Health and convened by the Safe Motherhood Inter-Agency Group, a consortium of international and national organizations, including the World Bank and Family Care International, dedicated to implementing the Safe Motherhood Initiative throughout the developing world. The conference opened today and closes 15 November with announcements of the national strategies.

Skilled attendance-having a clinician present during childbirth-has been demonstrated to be one of the most effective means of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.

Increasing skilled attendance at birth was a key factor of Tunisia's success in reducing maternal deaths by 80 percent in just 23 years (1971-1994).

"It is likely that the pace will be accelerated," said Hedi M'henni, the Tunisian Minister of Health in his keynote address to the conference. M'henni noted that "the President of the Republic has issued clear instructions that appropriate actions be taken to reduce the maternal mortality rate in Tunisia to less than 50 per 100,000 live births before the end of 2001."