unite4moms!
Promoting maternal health in Africa
On average, 1 woman and 6 infants die each hour from preventable, birth-related complications in Tanzania. Through our Who Cares? Campaign, the Touch Foundation is proud to announce unite4moms!, a maternal health advocacy campaign running from April 15 to June 15, 2010!
4 ways YOU can improve maternal health in Africa:
1. Shop for your mom, aunt, grandma, sister or friend while supporting the training of healthcare workers in Africa!
Check out these super chic charm necklaces (pictured at left)! Buy either the giraffe charm necklace or the bird charm necklace by Lucid New York and 30% of your purchase will go to the Touch Foundation! Lucid New York’s pieces are all the rage and have been featured in Cosmopolitan, New York Times, Nylon, Marie Claire and Vogue! Just enter “touch” in the comments field. As an added bonus, you will receive free shipping!
Shop for African handicrafts (pictured at left)! Global Goods Partners, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering women, alleviating poverty and promoting social justice, partners with community-based organizations in Africa, creating access to the U.S. market for its partners’ handcrafted products and providing technical assistance to build sustainable livelihoods. They have chosen to partner with the Touch Foundation through unite4moms! For a selection of African crafts, 20% of sales will benefit the Touch Foundation. A perfect gift for your mom or loved one! From April 15 to June 15, click here to purchase crafts specially selected for unite4moms!
Click here to purchase a Who Cares? tote bag and t-shirt. All proceeds support the training of healthcare workers in Tanzania.
2. Donate to the Touch Foundation in honor of your mom or other loved one to support the training of healthcare workers in Africa!
Make a gift to the Touch Foundation in honor of someone here--a perfect gift for Mother’s Day (May 9, 2010 in the U.S.) or any day you want to show appreciation!
Send a tribute card and make a donation of $10 or more in her name to the Touch Foundation. Please e-mail Mark_Allen@Mckinsey.com for details. (See card pictured at left and click on the image to enlarge.) We can change the cover greeting from "Happy Mother's Day" to "In Honor of You and Moms Everywhere" if you want to send the card on another date.
3. Follow our blog to learn more about maternal health.
From April 15 to June 15, our Who Cares? Campaign blog will feature guest posts from advocates and practitioners in maternal health. We want to hear from you! Share your comments or let us know if you would like to do a post.
4. Spread the word!
From April 15 to June 15, we will feature daily “tweets” on Twitter and on Facebook about maternal health issues. Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook about maternal health issues. Please “re-tweet” or share those postings with your friends and family!
Why care about maternal health?
Globally, childbirth is the leading killer of young women. More than 500,000 women die each year from pregnancy- or birth-related complications and 99% of maternal deaths are in developing countries. In the vast majority of cases, deaths could be prevented if women receive improved access to skilled healthcare workers.
The maternal health statistics in sub-Saharan Africa – and in Tanzania in particular – are shocking. On average, 1 woman and 6 infants die each hour from preventable, birth-related complications in Tanzania.
The connection between the lack of healthcare workers and poor maternal health is clear. Risks of mortality for women and their babies are highest at the time of birth. Maternal deaths decrease dramatically if a woman receives access to prenatal care and if a trained health worker is present while a woman gives birth. Sadly, in Tanzania, fewer than 50 percent of women have access to a doctor, nurse or other skilled medical worker during childbirth. The Touch Foundation is working to address this dire shortage of healthcare workers in Tanzania.
The Touch Foundation is a member of the White Ribbon Alliance, an international coalition bound together by a common goal: to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth are safe for all women and newborns in every country around the world. For more facts about maternal health, please check their website.
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