Invest in women, invest in society, UN official claims

Failing to invest in maternal health only serves to exaggerate social problems in poor countries, it has been suggested.

According to Ahmed Obaid, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, the world today is "too complex and interconnected" to see problems in isolation of each other.
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics


Monday, 13th July 2009

She commented: "When a mother dies, when an orphan child does not get the food or education he needs, when a young girl grows into a life without opportunities, the consequences extend beyond the existence of these individuals.

"They diminish the society as a whole and lessen chances for peace, prosperity and stability."

Ms Obaid added that in countries and communities where women have access to reproductive health services - such as family planning, skilled attendance at birth and emergency obstetric and neonatal care - survival rates are high and maternal and newborn deaths are rare.

Last week, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, said investing in the health of women and girls around the world is the best way to achieve the Millennium Development Goals