UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 10 January 2015]
http://www.unfpa.org/public/

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Midwives help lower Afghanistan’s towering maternal death rate
7 January 2015
NEW YORK/KABUL – Boosting the ranks of midwives has helped to lower Afghanistan’s towering maternal and newborn death rates, a new report shows.
Decades of grinding conflict and repressive attitudes towards women had led to enormous maternal and infant death rates, according to the report, the State of Afghanistan’s Midwifery 2014. After Taliban insurgents gained control in 1996, restrictions on women’s health care – in particular, a prohibition on receiving care from male health workers – left many pregnant women without the assistance of skilled health personnel such as doctors, nurses or midwives.
By 2002, Afghanistan’s maternal mortality ratio was one of the highest in the world. For every 100,000 live births, some 1,600 women died from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth, says the report, which was jointly produced by UNFPA, Afghanistan’s health ministry, and other partners.
Empowering midwives
To reverse this trend, health officials and international partners sought to strengthen midwifery services – both in hospital settings and in rural communities, where many women live beyond the reach of conventional health facilities. To develop the skills of midwives, UNFPA and partner organizations supported a variety of two-year training programmes…

Mobile app promises to speed Ebola response in Guinea
5 January 2015
CONAKRY, Guinea – As the Ebola epidemic continues to ravage parts of West Africa, health officials are intensifying their efforts on the ground. Now included in their arsenal is a mobile phone application that promises…