MHI Quarterly Newsletter: Women's History Month & Maternal Health Policy Brief
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Letter from the Director
Happy 2021 and Women’s History Month! It’s been quite a busy month filled with incredible events and publications highlighting the vital roles of women in society. March has also marked a change of leadership at the Wilson Center and we, at MHI, are pleased to formally welcome Ambassador Mark Green as our new President, Director, and CEO.
Amb. Green joins us from the McCain Institute for International Leadership and is the former Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During Amb. Green’s tenure at USAID, he prioritized maternal and child health, gender equity, and women’s empowerment—the cornerstones of our work. This year, MHI is focused on research, open dialogues, and policies related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the health and well-being of women and girls, and women’s economic and physical security. We are thrilled for the leadership and expertise Amb. Green can lend to these objectives.
COVID-19 has had an outsized impact on women and girls. In light of this reality, both domestic and global policy-making must actively address their needs and priorities. Each year, approximately 300,000 women die due to pregnancy related causes. Almost all—94 percent—of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and the vast majority of maternal deaths are preventable. Sadly, COVID-19 has disrupted women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services, including access to modern contraception. These disruptions have already caused an increase in unintended pregnancies and maternal deaths. Conflicting guidelines on pregnancy and breastfeeding in the context of COVID-19 will likely also impact newborn and child health worldwide.
At USAID, Amb. Green ensured that ending preventable maternal and child deaths was a key priority in federal budget negotiations. Through the World Relief funding award, he supported efforts to leverage existing community resources to strengthen maternal, reproductive, and child health at the local level. He also spearheaded the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, which invests in women and their leadership across sectors. “Empowered women are also a key driver of self-reliance; when women thrive, their families rise, children are better nourished, their communities prosper, and their countries are better-off,” he wrote last year.
We thank former Congresswoman Jane Harman for her decade of leadership and support for the work of the Maternal Health Initiative, and we welcome Amb. Green to join in our efforts toward a healthier and more equitable world.
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