Nine Countries Join Global Financing Facility; Now Reaching 36 Countries with Greatest Health and Nutrition Needs of Women, Children and Adolescents

Following the GFF replenishment event in November 2018 that raised more than US$1 billion for the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF), the GFF announced today that 9 countries—Chad, Ghana, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, Somalia, Tajikistan, Zambia and Zimbabwe—will join the GFF, bringing the total number of GFF-supported countries to 36.

A post-2020 Imperative: Help Boys and Men Embrace Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

As the sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) field has increasingly recognized, gender inequality and restrictive gender norms harm everyone by creating avoidable damage to health and wellbeing. Whether through norms that encourage male sexual exploration and female reticence; norms that constrain women’s access to information and the outside world; norms that sanction men’s physical, emotional, or sexual dominance over women; or norms that prioritize the nutritional needs of boys over girls, restrictive norms result in damage to health and wellbeing all around the world.

Reaching pregnant women vulnerable from conflict in Maguindanao, Philippines

More than 45,000 people have been displaced from conflict in the BARMM including in Magindanao, according to the 29 March information from the BARMM Ministry of Social Services. UNFPA estimates there could be as many as 1,400 pregnant women among the affected population, with around 500 expected to deliver in the next three months. There are also more than 900 women who have given birth in the last six months.

Tufts entrepreneurs aim to improve Bangladeshi women’s health

Two budding entrepreneurs at Tufts University were recently awarded $15,000 for their proposal to improve health for female Bangladeshi garment workers. The annual Tufts $100k New Ventures Competition gives faculty, students, alumni and staff the chance to win cash and temporary office spacefor a business idea they pitch. Earlier this month, the competition announced it would divvy up $150,000 in prizes among winners in three categories.

Developing innovative approach to reduce maternal mortality

Despite several interventions to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Nigeria still contributes ten percent of global burden of maternal deaths. According to National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the maternal mortality is one of the highest in the world with an estimate of 574 maternal deaths for every 100, 000 live births. This huge burden of maternal deaths makes the reduction of maternal mortality in African a global priority.