Mutter-Kind-Gesundheit braucht einen umfassenden Ansatz

Die Gesundheit von Müttern, Neugeborenen und unter 5jährigen Kindern hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren zwar verbessert, doch sind wir noch weit davon entfernt, dort zu sein, wo wir mit Beendigung des Millenniumsentwicklungsprogrammes 2015 sein sollten. Das heisst in Zahlen ausgedrückt: Täglich sterben rund 19'000 Kinder, die jünger als fünf Jahre alt sind, und 800 Frauen während der Schwangerschaft und Geburt.

Weshalb kommt gerade dieser, für die Zukunftsfähigkeit einer Gesellschaft so zentraler Bereich, so schleppend voran? Höre ich den in diesem Bereich tätigen PraktikerInnen zu, sprechen diese von der ungemein komplexen Herausforderung in diesem Bereich. Systemisch greifen Themen der sexuellen und reproduktiven Gesundheit ineinander mit Fragen des Zugangs zu Gesundheitsdienstleistungen, dem Gesundheitspersonalmangel und den grossen Herausforderungen der übertragbaren Krankheiten, wie HIV/Aids oder Malaria. Gleichzeitig spielen kulturelle und religiöse Normen sowie daraus abgeleitete politische Praxis eine riesige Rolle. Im Zentrum dieser abstrakten Begrifflichkeit stehen die Frauen mit fehlenden Rechten und der patriarchaler Bevormundung.

Die Umsetzung des Aktionsplanes der Bevölkerungskonferenz von Kairo 1994, welcher versuchte einen auf Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter zielenden Ansatz der sexuellen und reproduktiven Gesundheit zu implementieren, erweist sich nach wie vor als schwierig. Dies zeigt sich etwa daran, dass heranwachsende Frauen weltweit nur unzureichenden Zugang zu Information betreffend sexueller Gesundheit, zu Empfängnisverhütung und zur Pflege in der Schwangerschaft haben. Die Folge: Die Müttersterblichkeit ist bei 15-19 Jährigen um 28% höher als bei 20-24 Jährigen.

Weil die Fragestellung so komplex ist, braucht es einen umfassenden Ansatz, um in diesem Bereich weiterzukommen. Mit diesem Vorhaben gehen wir an das diesjährige MMS Symposium zum Thema. Immer mit dem Wissen, dass ein umfassender Ansatz, die Frau ins Zentrum stellen muss, muss die Gesundheit der Kinder und die Zukunft einer Gesellschaft zu sichern.

Martin Leschhorn Strebel
Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung

Focus: Mother and Child Health
Network Health for All: What's up
Network MMS: News
Job Opportunities
International Health and more: Issues, Debates, Tools

Focus: Mother and Child Health

Analysing Progress on Commitments to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health
The PMNCH 2012 Report
WHO | The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn und Child Health report finds "that the Global Strategy has been a catalyst for more focused and coordinated efforts for women’s and children’s health. It also concludes that implementation is underway but faces some constraints. Based on the report’s findings, the some recommendations on the way forward are made."
www.who.int/...

Keeping Our Promises to Women and Children
Roadblocks to Ending Maternal and Child Deaths
Huffington Post | "Child mortality rates have fallen in all regions of the world in the last two decades -- down by at least 50 percent in Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, South-eastern Asia and Western Asia. Maternal mortality has nearly halved since 1990.But it's too soon to pat ourselves on the back and say job well done. Despite these gains, the majority of developing countries are still expected to fall short of the MDG targets for reducing maternal and child mortality by 2015," writes Carole Presern for the Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Countdown to 2015: changes in official development assistance to maternal, newborn, and child health in 2009—10, and assessment of progress since 2003
The Lancet | "Donor disbursements to maternal, newborn, and child health activities in all countries continued to increase, to $6511 million in 2009, but slightly decreased for the first time since our monitoring started, to $6480 million in 2010. ODA for such activities to the 74 Countdown priority countries continued to increase in real terms, but its rate of increase has been slowing since 2008. We identified strong evidence that targeting of ODA to countries with high rates of maternal mortality improved from 2005 to 2010. Targeting of ODA to child health also improved but to a lesser degree. The share of multilateral funding continued to decrease but, relative to bilaterals and global health initiatives, was better targeted."
http://bit.ly/RuuSof

MMS Symposium 2012: Mother and child health in developing countries
Basel, 6 November 2012
(E) MMS | Mother and child health is one of the factors that have a primary impact on social development in developing countries. Nevertheless, some 360,000 women still die every year during pregnancy or while giving birth. Furthermore, 7.6 million under-fives die every year too. In recent years, significant progress has been made in improving the health of mothers and children. Infant and maternal mortality have both fallen at global level. This year’s symposium organized by the Medicus Mundi Switzerland network will take a closer look. What is being done in international politics to further improve the situation? What strategies are effective? How can women and expectant mothers be given better access to healthcare provision?
http://www.medicusmundi.ch/mms-en/services/events/Symposium2012

Network Health for All: What's up

Rational Management of Medicines. A focus on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Pretoria, 14 October - 26 October 2012
Swiss TPH | Medicines are an essential and cost-effective tool of health care and an important element of health systems. Yet today, for millions of people worldwide essential medicines remain unavailable and unaffordable. Diseases of poverty including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis tragically claim innumerable lives in low income countries. This two weeks course will be conducted in Pretoria, South Africa where a full range of public, private and NGO based health care facilities offer opportunities for first hand exposure.
http://www.swisstph.ch/?id=127

MAS Symposium: “Shattering Culture” – Diversity in Health Care
Basel, 25 - 26 October 2012
Medical Anthropology Switzerland | "In Swiss health care, concepts such as “cultural competence” or “(hyper)diversity” are upcoming issues. While so far mainly medical anthropologists addressed these issues, an increasing number of health professionals and institutions become involved in these concepts. This process is promoted by a growing diversity of both patients and health care providers, significant health disparities between the “immigrant” and “indigenous” populations and the corresponding national strategy “Migration and Health” by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Therefore, the presentations by the authors of the book “Shattering Culture – American Medicine Responds to Cultural Diversity” form a highly welcome input to stimulate reflections on the Swiss stance and to design future steps towards a “cultural (hyper)diversity” in health care." (pdf)
http://bit.ly/U0A0V8

Health District Management: Priority Setting, Planning and Programme Design
Ifakara (Tanzania), 12 - 30 November 2012
Swiss TPH | The course aims at introducing the basic principles of strategic programme and project management. It also focuses on practical aspects of the planning and implementation process, using the techniques of a simulation exercise and computer based support.
http://bit.ly/LZ7zzA

A generation at risk: psychosocial support for Africa’s children
Basel, 4 December 2012
(E) Novartis Foundation | Over 16 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to HIV and AIDS, and most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to those affected by chronic illness and death, many other children are confronted by the challenges of poverty and conflict. These vulnerable children face material hardship, socio-economic disadvantage, social stigma, emotional isolation and psychological trauma. Such consequences carry far-reaching social effects for many countries, and pose a threat to longer-term development. We risk losing a generation of children made vulnerable by poverty, conflict, HIV and AIDS. This year’s Novartis Foundation Symposium invites esteemed speakers and experts to assess and discuss different psychosocial approaches. You can register for free starting at the beginning of October 2012 on the Novartis Foundation website.
http://www.novartisfoundation.org

The 19th Swiss International Short Course on Travellers' Health
Basel, 28 January - 1 February 2013
Swiss TPH | "This 1-week course provides up-to-date information on tropical diseases and their medical treatment. It is mainly designed for participants from industrialised countries, who need to provide reliable information and advice for travellers, and to assess travel-related problems that occur in patients who have returned from tropical countries. The course is organised in collaboration with other Swiss and German institutes, under the patronage of the International Society of Travel Medicine, the WHO, and the Swiss Society for Tropical Medicine."
http://www.swisstph.ch/teaching/professional-postgraduate/travellers-health.html

Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries
Basel, 11 March - 14 June 2013
Swiss TPH | "This 3 months full time course aims at introducing participants to the fundamentals of international health with a range of skills and knowledge needed to work as a member of a district management team. The participatory course is designed for people who already have a first qualification in a health-related profession, and at least two years professional experience."
http://www.swisstph.ch/teaching/professional-postgraduate/hcmtc.html

How to plan successfully? A focus on priority setting, resource allocation and strategic planning
Basel, 17 June - 5 July 2013
Swiss TPH | This intense course aims on enabling the students to plan health projects and programmes, based on systematic analyses of the respective setting. It focuses on practical aspects of the planning and implementation process, using the techniques of a simulation exercise and computer based support. At the end a full project proposal is produced.
http://bit.ly/P60rX4

Network MMS: News

0,5% gegen Armut - endlich am Ziel
Botschaft des Bundesrates verabschiedet
(D) Switzerland Alliance Sud | "Das Ja des Ständerats zu den Rahmenkrediten der internationalen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit 2013-16 setzt endlich einen Schlussstrich unter eine jahrelange zähe Debatte. (...) Obschon das angestrebte Ziel der Uno von 0,7% BNE nicht erreicht ist, gehört die Schweiz nun zu denjenigen Staaten, die in einem schwierigen wirtschaftlichen Umfeld ihre Entwicklungshilfe spürbar erhöhen."
http://www.alliancesud.ch/de/ep/eza/05-gegen-armut-endlich-am-ziel

Die DEZA erhöht ihren Beitrag an die Kantha-Bopha-Spitäler ab 2013
"Ein wichtiger Teil des kambodschanischen Gesundheitssystems"
(D) Cambodia DEZA | "Die Kantha-Bopha-Spitäler in Kambodscha feiern dieses Jahr ihr zwanzigjähriges Bestehen. Die 1992 von Dr. Beat Richner gegründeten Kinderspitäler leisten einen grossen Beitrag zur Verbesserung der Kindergesundheit und des öffentlichen Gesundheitswesens in Kambodscha. Die Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit (DEZA) unterstützt die Arbeit von Dr. Richner seit 1994. Sie hat beschlossen, ihren Beitrag zu diesem zwanzigjährigen Jubiläum um eine Million Franken zu erhöhen. Damit beläuft sich die Unterstützung der Schweiz auf 4 Millionen Franken pro Jahr."
http://www.news.admin.ch/message/index.html?lang=de&msg-id=45916

60 Jahre Solidarität im Caritas Baby Hospital
Feierlichkeiten in Palästina
Palestine , Switzerland Kinderhilfe Bethlehem | Das Caritas Baby Hospital hat am vergangenen Sonntag zur Feier des 60 Jährigen Bestehens des Spitals eingeladen. Nebst den Feierlichkeiten fand auch eine Gedenkfeier zu Ehren des Gründers Pater Ernst Schnydrig statt, der am 26. September 2012 100 Jahre alt geworden wäre. (pdf)
http://bit.ly/QFUcbs

Zugang zu sicherer und legaler Abtreibung
aidsfocus Flash zum globalen Aktionstag vom 28. September
aidsfocus.ch | Jedes Jahr werden 22 Millionen Abtreibungen unter schwierigen und gefährlichen Bedingungen durchgeführt, mit der Folge, dass etwa 47’000 Frauen sterben und weitere 5 Millionen Frauen bleibende körperliche Schäden davontragen. Diese hohen Zahlen sind schockierend, mehr noch: Fast jeder dieser Todesfälle und fast jede dieser Verletzungen hätte verhindert werden können mit Sexualaufklärung, Familienplanung und Zugang zu sicheren, gesetzlich geschützten Abtreibungen und Nachversorgung bei Komplikationen.
http://www.aidsfocus.ch/ebulletin/bulletin_de/letter_1348736709469

Job Opportunities

Postdoctoral Scientist
Swiss TPH job opportunity
Swiss TPH | For an interdisciplinary 3-year research project on EEG-analyses among patients with chronic neurological diseases, the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital of Basel and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute are searching a Postdoctoral Scientist with a good theoretical and practical knowledge of signal processing, who is interested in expanding his/her expertise towards the statistical analysis of multidimensional data. (pdf)
http://bit.ly/PiyB5N

International Health and more: Issues, Debates, Tools

No Health Without Research
Material for a not yet published World Health Report 2012
PLOS Medicine | "In January 2011 the PLOS Medicine editors announced a collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) on the theme of research for better health. Submissions were invited to the WHO/PLOS collection “No Health Without Research”, which was intended to culminate in 2012 to coincide with the release of the 2012 World Health Report by WHO, which would also address the same topic. The collection's theme is oriented around the fact that decisions on healthcare are still made without a solid grounding in research evidence, and an impetus is required for this state of affairs to change. In light of the interest in the collection, it is disappointing to learn now that the 2012 World Health Report will not exist, at least as originally envisaged."
http://bit.ly/gRIuLQ

Universal Health Coverage
A Lancet Series
The Lancet | "Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, has stated that "Universal Health Coverage is the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer." In this themed issue of The Lancet, the first of three Series papers explores the evidence on the links between expansions in coverage and population health outcomes. The second paper looks at the political and economic dimensions of the transition to universal health coverage, and the third examines nine low-income and lower-middle-income countries in Africa and Asia that have implemented national health insurance reforms. Also, a Viewpoint calls for continued progress and argues for a large public sector role in health systems reform."
http://www.thelancet.com/themed-universal-health-coverage

HIV, Aids and Advocacy
MMS Bulletin 125
(E) MMS | The latest MMS Bulletin collects articles on HIV, Aids and Advocacy from the following authors: Helena Zweifel, Nonkosi Khumalo, Eduard Grebe, Joshua Mavundu, Paulina Alex, Aashish Masih, Nicola Willis, Andreas Keller, Karolin Pfeiffer, Albino Martín Portillo, Mirta Ruiz Díaz und Thomas Schwarz.
http://www.medicusmundi.ch/mms-en/services/bulletin/hiv-aids-and-advocacy