Safe Motherhood: A Review - Family Care International

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Development and Donor Agency
Commitment
Since the launch of the SMI in 1987,
the landscape of agencies working
in the field of maternal and child health
has changed significantly. The number
of development agencies with dedicated
safe motherhood programs has grown
dramatically, and safe motherhood has
received increasing priority. Donor agencies’
funding commitments to safe motherhood
have also risen, in response to international
mandates such as ICPD and the MDGs.
However, funding remains inadequate to
achieve the Initiative’s goals.
A review of organizations and agencies
working in health and development just
prior to the launch of the Safe Motherhood
Initiative in 1987 revealed that few
(approximately six agencies) had specific
programs focusing on maternal health. In
1992, five years after the SMI launch, the
number of agencies with safe motherhood
as a priority increased to 26 (including
multilateral organizations) as part of an
analysis conducted in preparation of a
meeting of Partners for Safe Motherhood,
which reviewed progress and prospects for
safe motherhood between 1987 and 1992. 26
The agencies that had identified safe
motherhood as a priority issue around the
1987 conference included:
• The World Bank: As one of the longest and
most consistent supporters of the global
Initiative, the Bank has used its financial
clout to increase investment in maternal
health policies and programs. In the ten
years following the SMI launch in Nairobi,
World Bank–funded projects for safe
motherhood increased substantially—from
ten to 150 projects. 27 The Bank has also been
a critical partner in the Safe Motherhood
Inter-Agency Group, through its periodic
role as chair and its financial support of
the secretariat.
• The World Health Organization: As one
of the co-sponsors of the Nairobi Safe
Motherhood Conference, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has long identified
safe motherhood as a core priority area.
WHO has provided technical leadership in
the design, implementation, and evaluation
of programs to governments, and has
worked in collaboration with NGOs and
health professional groups, among others,
to strengthen the provision of maternal
health services. The clinical guidelines,
policy briefs, training modules, and research
reports and methodologies it has produced
on maternal health have been widely used
and adapted.
• UNFPA: Following the ICPD in 1999,
UNFPA’s focus on maternal health increased
dramatically. Its current strategy for
preventing maternal mortality includes
family planning to reduce unintended
pregnancies; skilled care at all births; and
emergency obstetric care for women who
develop complications. At the country level,
safe motherhood features prominently
in UNFPA’s programs, and the agency’s
experience working in safe motherhood in
over 140 countries has provided a wealth
of programming lessons for the maternal
health community.
26 Otsea K. Progress and Prospects: The Safe Motherhood Initiative 1987–1992. Washington, DC: The World Bank, 1992.
27 Safe Motherhood and the World Bank: Lessons from 10 Years of Experience. Washington, DC: The World Bank, 1999.
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