International Women's Health Coalition

PARTNER: CommonHealth

For every 100,000 live births in India, 540 women die and dozens more experience chronic or even life-threatening conditions as a result of poor health care during pregnancy. IWHC supports the recently established CommonHealth, also know as the Coalition for Maternal-Neonatal Health and Safe Abortion to broaden advocacy for women and children's health in India, including their access to sexual and reproductive health services.

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Young women participating in a tribal peer education session with ARTH, the home of CMNHSA.

CommonHealth's work at the state level-where most health policy decisions are made-to raise awareness of unsafe abortion and maternal and neonatal health challenges, and to ensure implementation of good policies, develop new policies, and revise current policies, make it unique among Indian organizations. CommonHealth also strives to develop emerging leadership in the field by pairing experienced professionals as informal mentors with coalition members who are up-and-coming leaders.

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Young people at one of ARTH's adolescent peer education sessions.

Initial activities of CommonHealth include investigating the current status of maternal and newborn health care, and uncovering those areas that need urgent attention. CommonHealth also conducts research into the intersections between neonatal and maternal health and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, all important health challenges in India. CommonHealth is coordinated out of Action Research Training for Health (ARTH), which is based in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Learn more about CommonHealth on their website.

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Tags: Asia and the Middle East