A human rights-based approach to maternal health

Maternal Health

Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.

A Human Rights-Based Approach

There is no clear definition of a human rights-based approach, but these approaches within the development field generally seek to empower people to claim their human rights, and support duty-bears to deliver particular services anchored by human rights.

Human Rights-Based Approaches to Maternal Health

Human rights-based approaches to maternal health therefore seeks to empower women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period to enjoy and claim their rights, as well as build the capacity of duty-bearers to deliver maternal health services.

A human rights-based approach to maternal health aims at supporting better maternal health outcomes by analysing and addressing the inequalities, discriminatory practices (de jure and de facto) and unjust power relations which can be at the heart of maternal morbidity and mortality.

The conceptual framework for a human rights-based approach to maternal health rests upon a number of international human rights treaties [1] and general comments, recommendations and concluding observations of several treaty bodies; recognising that maternal mortality implicates a wider range of human rights and recommending that States parties take effective measures to improve maternal health.[2]

Human rights-based approaches to maternal health are informed by two reports produced by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The first OHCHR report identifies seven human rights principles fundamental for understanding maternal mortality and morbidity as a human rights issue: accountability, participation, transparency, empowerment, sustainability, international assistance and non-discrimination.[3] The second OHCHR report outlines categories of good practices to address maternal mortality and improve maternal health in compliance with human rights obligations.[4] 

State parties should do all they can to ensure that maternal health care services are available to everyone in their jurisdiction. This includes facilities, adequate human resources and drugs, supplies and equipment. Maternal health services should also be accessible to everyone without discrimination. This includes safe physical accessibility for all, economic accessibility, including to women living in poverty, and access to information. Maternal health care should be acceptable, respectful of individuals, their culture, sensitive to gender and includes the principle of confidentiality. Finally, maternal health services should be of adequate quality, which requires skilled health workers and respect for evidence-based norms and standards.[5] 

Overall, a human rights-based approach to maternal health can be viewed as a conceptual framework that is normatively based on international human rights standards and norms relevant to maternal health.

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[1] These including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

[2] See for example: Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: Algeria (A/60/38), para. 131; Czech Republic (A/57/38), para. 85; India (CEDAW/C/IND/CO/3), para. 40; Saint Kitts and Nevis (A/57/38), para. 88; Sri Lanka (A/57/38), para. 217; Turkey (CEDAW/C/TUR/CC/4-5), para. 38; concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Bolivia (CCPR/C/79/Add.74), para. 22; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (CCPR/C/79/Add.101), para. 9; Mongolia (CCPR/C/79/Add.120), para. 8(b); Paraguay (A/51/38),para. 123; Senegal (CCPR/C/79/Add.82), para. 12; concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD): Benin (E/C.12/BEN/CO/2), para. 25; Brazil (E/C.12/1/Add.87), para. 27; China (E/C.12/1/Add.107), para. 36; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (E/C.12/1/Add.95), para. 23; Mexico (E/C.12/MEX/CO/4), para. 25; Morocco (E/C.12/MAR/CO/3), para. 13(f); Paraguay (E/C.12/PRY/CO/3), para. 21; Poland (E/C.12/1/Add.82), para. 29; Senegal (E/C.12/1/Add.62), para. 26; concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child: Argentina (CRC/C/15/Add.187), para. 46; Azerbaijan (CRC/C/AZE/CO/2), para. 49(b); Benin (CRC/C/BEN/CO/2), para. 51; Botswana (CRC/C/15/Add.242), para. 48; Colombia (CRC/C/COL/CO/3), para. 68(b); Philippines (CRC/C/PHL/CO/3-4), para. 55; Yemen (CRC/C/15/Add.128), para. 55(c).

[3] UN Human Rights Council, 'Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity and Human Rights.' (2010)  A/HRC/14/39

[4] UN Human Rights Council, 'Practices in Adopting a Human Rights-Based Approach to Eliminate Preventable Maternal Mortality and Human Rights,' (2011) A/HRC/18/27

[5] UN Human Rights Council, "Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity and Human Rights." (2012) A/HRC/RES/21/6

G7 Letter

The G7 Summit in Germany in early June is a key moment to request support from G7 member-states on issues of great importance to us. This includes the ambitious but achievable goal of ending of preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by 2030 in the post-2015 negotiations; improving access to quality health services for women, children and adolescents everywhere, including those in fragile and conflict settings, and making sure these and other issues are linked to the updated Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health to be launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in September 2015.

 

If you would like to have the name of your organisation included on this letter, please send an email to Kel Currah (kel@whatworldstrategies.com)

Letter:

Putting women’s, children’s and adolescents health at the centre of the G7 agenda

The G7’s efforts to improve global health rank among its greatest development achievements. G7 leaders have played an important role in shaping and supporting global initiatives that have made a significant impact including the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and the Muskoka Initiative. Launched at the G8 Summit in 2010, the Muskoka Initiativehas contributed to substantial progress in improving the healthof women, newborns and children, including through galvanizing international support and commitments for the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health (the Global Strategy). The recently published report on the Global Strategy named it as the fastest growing public health partnership in history, with 2.4 million women’s and children’s lives saved since 2010

The forthcoming Schloss Elmau G7 Summit will address issues that are fundamental to improving the health and rightsof women, newborn, children and adolescents, particularly women’s empowerment and resilience in health systems. Through the G7’s leadership, the international community can empower women and support increased resilience by strengthening health care systems, fighting infectious diseases, improving sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child & adolescent health and ensuring that the unfinished business of the health-related Millennium Development Goals is not lost in the transition to the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Therefore, we urge G7 leaders to include commitments in the Summit Communique to:

• Renew commitments made under Muskoka and the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health such as A Promise Renewed, Every Newborn Action Plan and Family Planning 2020 and ensure they are met;

• Welcome and support the renewed Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health, to be launched in September 2015;

• Support the ambitious but achievable goal of ending of preventable maternal, newborn and child deathsby 2030 in the post-2015 negotiations and agree to tackle inequality by focusing on those groups that are furthest behind;

• Provide financial and non-financial resources to deliver the post-2015 framework and support countries to raise and spend greater domestic resources on universal public services, including viathe newly established Global Financing Facility in support of Every Woman Every Child to be launched at the Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa in July 2015. 

• Deliver an ambitious commitment on aid expenditure in support of increased domestic resource mobilisation and align ODA for the health and rightsof women, children and adolescents, includingthrough the Global Financing Facility;

• Ensure that every woman, every child, every adolescent everywhere, including fragile and conflict affected contexts, has access to quality RMNCAH health services and adequate nutrition.

Addressing the rights and needs of women and children is key to creating sustainable change and development. The last five years of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health have shown that well-planned, coordinated interventions can achieve results and save lives. 2015 is the time to build on this achievement, renew commitments and support strong strategies that will end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by 2030and improve overall health. In this crucial year, we call on for G7 leadership to make this a reality. 

Sincerely,

 

The undersigned organisations:

 

Citizens' Hearings

A series of Citizens’ Hearings have been taking place around the world, providing an opportunity for citizens to feed in their priorities for the next development agenda and to outline their role in improved accountability for delivery of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health.   

More information on the hearings can be found here: http://www.citizens-post.org/

World Health Day

World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. 

Each year a theme is selected that highlights a priority area of public health. 

The World Health Day provides an opportunity for individuals in every community to get involved in activities that can lead to better health.

Risk and Power in Maternal Health

An evening seminar providing alternative perspectives to maternal health, addressing why the cross-cultural application of biomedical models continue to fail some women. Speakers will offer a practical and theoretical perspective to medicalisation, consent and coercion, risk perception and the relationship between reproduction and female social status. 

Fri 27th February, 4:30 - 7:00 

UCL Archaeology Lecture Theatre 

Anthropology Department
14 Taviton Street 

Dr Sahra Gibbon, event chair - An introduction to a theoretical framework of risk and power. 

Dr Susie Kilshaw - Pregnancy loss and social positioning amongst Qatari women.

Catarina Morais - Power relations in childbirth arena: From birth attendant, “choco”, “corcas” and “aparatar” to obstetrician, uterine contractions and childbirth.

Dr Maya Unnithan and Rebecca Ashely - Reflections on women's rights and choices in midwifery and the navigation of risk protocols - from a theoretical and practical perspective.

Mars Lord - Informed consent vs informed coercion​.

For more information and to reserve your place: http://www.kweekweek.com/events/12413​

Global Maternal Newborn Health Conference 18-21 October 2015

As countries around the world prepare for a new set of ambitious targets to end preventable deaths, the maternal and newborn health communities have an ideal opportunity to consider successes and challenges, share lessons learned and technical updates, and set priorities for the way forward.

The technical conference will focus on discussing programs, policies, research, and advocacy to support achieving effective and sustainable coverage of maternal and newborn interventions at scale in countries and regions of highest need, and will continue to galvanize momentum and commitment to mothers and newborns on the global agenda. Mexico will provide a wonderful venue, as many lessons can be learned from its recognized leadership in maternal and newborn health in Latin America and worldwide, particularly in addressing issues of equity within and across population groups.

Visit the official conference website for additional information. The conference is sponsored by the Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) at the Harvard School of Public Health, USAID’s flagship Maternal Child Survival Program (MCSP), and Save the Children’s Saving Newborn Lives program (SNL), in coordination and collaboration with a number of global and regional partners.