The following opinion pieces address issues surrounding maternal and child health.

Huffington Post: Not Just Baby Steps: Global Action Gives All Newborns a Fighting Chance to Survive and Thrive
Katie Taylor, deputy assistant administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health

“…This week, USAID is joining a global movement to give newborns a fighting chance to survive and thrive during the most perilous period of life — during delivery and the post-natal period when prematurity, asphyxia, and infection pose grave threats to their survival. Action to prevent newborn deaths is a vital element in all we are doing to end preventable child and maternal deaths — and helping to save newborns helps us to save moms, and can enable these fragile beings to become healthy children…” (6/30).

Huffington Post Canada: On Canada Day, Let’s Celebrate Maternal Health
Russell Williams, president of Rx&D

“…As we reflect on Canada Day, we can be very proud of the role we play globally in maternal child and newborn health. Prime Minister Harper has personally driven the issue and helped shape the global strategy. … A stated goal of the Saving Every Woman Every Child Summit is to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths within a generation. We are eager to get to work and contribute to what is being called the final push. We believe collaboration is the catalyst to get us there” (6/30).

Lancet Global Health: How to reach every newborn: three key messages
Tanja Houweling of the Institute for Global Health at the University College London, and colleagues

“The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) launched on June 30-July 1, 2014, envisages a world without preventable deaths of newborn infants. The challenge is not technical (effective interventions exist), but instead social. … We summarize lessons from an international workshop, New Evidence Supporting Equity in Newborn and Maternal Health in South Asia, held for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 8-9, 2014. Three key messages on how to reach poor people emerged — universalize, soft-target, and monitor…” (6/30).