Jeremy Shiffman

 
Jeremy Shiffman

Jeremy Shiffman is an Associate Professor of Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. His research concerns the global and national political dynamics of health and population policy-making in poor countries. Jeremy has a particular interest in health policy agenda-setting: why political leaders prioritize some health issues and neglect others.

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Achieving the Maternal Health MDG: Momentum is Building but Political Challenges Remain

October 26, 2007

By in HIV/AIDS & Infectious Diseases, HIV/AIDS and other Infectious Diseases

Of all the Millennium Development Goals, progress on the maternal health goal may be the most disappointing. The target is to reduce by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015 the maternal mortality ratio – the number of deaths per 100,000 live births. A study published last week in The Lancet estimates 535,900 maternal deaths in 2005, only a slight decline since the launch twenty years ago of a Global Safe Motherhood Initiative. The study reports no evidence of significant reduction over the past fifteen years in Sub-Saharan Africa, where maternal death rates are highest in the world.

Last week I attended the Women Deliver conference in London, England, organized in conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of the initiative. The conference’s primary aim was to renew political commitment to address this issue. It was an impressive event in many ways. More than fifteen hundred persons from around the world attended, including the heads of several UN agencies, dozens of ministers from developing countries, legislators from rich and poor countries alike, and numerous civil society representatives. There were many interesting panels – too many for any one person to attend – on subjects as diverse as measuring maternal mortality, obstetric fistula, and advocacy strategies for maternal health.

This conference is one of several signs of emerging political commitment for the issue. Another sign is the Norwegian Government’s pledge last month of one billion dollars over the next ten years for the cause of maternal and child survival. Its prime minister is spearheading a global campaign to achieve MDG 4 (on child survival) and MDG 5, joining the British and Dutch Governments as central participants. Another hopeful development is increasing cohesion among the global maternal survival policy community concerning technical strategies to address the crisis. The community has been divided for more than a decade on solutions, a situation that has hampered political progress.

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