Cascade of Intervention in Childbirth

Source: Childbirth Connection

What is the "cascade of intervention?"

Many things in life have unintended effects: they may or may not have the effect that we want, and they may also have other unplanned and possibly unwanted effects.


Many maternity care interventions have unintended effects during labor and birth. Often these effects are new problems that are "solved" with further intervention, which may in turn create even more problems. This chain of events has been called the "cascade of intervention."

This chain of events can change the course of a woman's labor in important ways, yet women and their partners are often unaware that many routine interventions can lead to a cascade of unplanned experiences and unwanted side effects.

The maternity practices that can lead to a cascade of intervention include:

• using various medications to induce labor
• artificially breaking the membranes surrounding the baby and releasing amniotic fluid before or during labor
• using synthetic oxytocin to hasten labor
• giving medications for pain relief
• using back-lying positions for labor or for birth.

Celebrate Solutions: Integrating Family Planning and Fuel Efficiency for Better Health, Environment

Source: Women Deliver

August 15th, 2011

By Rati Bishnoi, Special Projects Intern at Women Deliver

Rukia Seif holds an unusual place in her community.

In addition, to being a mother of three, Seif is a population, health, and environment (PHE) peer educator in her Tanzanian village on the outskirts of Saadani National Park.

In the role, Seif meets and talks to people in her village daily about simple solutions for improving their health and protecting the natural resources they depend upon. Two of these solutions include promoting fuel-efficient cooking stoves and family planning.

She tells her neighbors how mud stoves use less fuel than earlier models and help conserve forests for the future. Even though it is illegal, villagers cut wood for fuel to be used in more energy-reliant stoves. As a result, the neighboring forests are being depleted, smoke from stoves is worsening air quality, and unsustainable pressure is being placed on the very resources that provide Seif and her community food and livelihood.

Seif also talks to villages about modern contraceptive methods, focusing particularly on women who have closely-spaced pregnancies. Large family sizes which are caused by a high unmet need for family planning not only endanger the overall health of the family and mothers but also exacerbate the pressure on natural resources. 

NEWS RELEASE Global partners stand behind global standards for midwifery

ICM International Confederation of Midwives~s press release:

On the last day of the International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Congress in Durban, South Africa, global agencies have expressed their commitment to work with each other and with ICM to tackle maternal mortality. The UN Population Fund, World Health Organization (WHO), the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) have each pledged to support the implementation of ICM’s landmark global standards for midwifery education and regulation as a core strategy to tackle maternal mortality worldwide. Around 350,000 women die each year as a result of preventable complications in pregnancy and childbirth. 99% of these deaths happen in low income countries, many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. Millennium Development Goal 5 commits countries to delivering significant improvements to maternal health worldwide but has been the slowest moving of all the MDGs so far.

 ‘Evidence shows that access to competent, educated and strong midwives significantly reduces maternal and infant mortality.’ said Bridget Lynch, President.  ‘ICM set out on the Road to Durban three years ago, committed to reaching our destination with the tools needed to help governments around the world tackle unacceptable rates of maternal and infant mortality. Since then, we have worked with midwives of the world and our global partners to make sure we arrived with these tools in our hands. I am proud to say that we are now the first health profession in the world to have achieved global standards for the competency, education and regulation of our workforce. These, alongside the information provided by the UNFPA’s State of the World Midwifery Report will be essential to the achievement of each countries maternal mortality target.’

State of World`s Midwifery

UNFPA just published State of World`s Midwifery. Midwives are primary health care providers providing care for low-risk women during pregnancy, labour, after delivery, including the care for babies.

Increasing women's access to quality midwifery has become a focus of global efforts to realize the right of every woman to the best possible health care during pregnancy and childbirth. A first step is assessing the situation.

The State of World's Midwifery 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives, supported by 30 partners, provides the first comprehensive analysis of midwifery services and issues in countries where the needs are greatest.

The report provides new information and data gathered from 58 countries in all regions of the world. Its analysis confirms that the world lacks some 350,000 skilled midwives -- 112,000 in the neediest 38 countries surveyed -- to fully meet the needs of women around the world. The report explores a range of issues related to building up this key health workforce.

This page includes access to the full report in three languages, as well as related resources, applications, bibliographical information, individual country profiles and stories of midwives.

Kuwait gets membership in human rights council

Source: Kuwait Times 

Published Date: June 20, 2011

GENEVA: Kuwait's accession into the United Nations Human Rights Council, effective today, constitutes a major national achievement and a qualitative step in the Kuwaiti diplomatic activities, said a ranking diplomat. This membership was sought in accordance with a decision by top political leaders, said Kuwait's Permanent Delegate to the UN Office in Geneva Ambassador Dharar Razzooqi, in an interview on the occasion of the significant event, the first of its kind since the Gulf state joined the United Nati
ons Security Council 30 years ago.

Amnesty International& Report on Human Rights

THERE IS NO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE IN THIS COUNTRY

Amnesty International does not currently have a presence in this country.

However, you can still donate to Amnesty International or join as an International Member (English or Spanish only).

Please contact the office of the International Secretariat for more information about Amnesty International's activities in this country.

 I found this message on Amnesty International- Kuwait .

Restrictions on Human Rights Organizations in Kuwait

Following article published in Arab Times 16/4/2011 describes new decision of Ministry of Information of the State of Kuwait about dealing with International Human Rights Organizations:

"  ‘Restrict dealing with rights units’ - MoI issues rules

KUWAIT CITY, April 15: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has instructed its departments and units not to deal with international human rights organizations and authorities, unless it is done  through its foreign affairs counterpart, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources.
Sources revealed MoI Undersecretary Lieutenant General Ghazi Al-Omar issued decision number 45/2011 on the guidelines in dealing with international human rights organizations according to the directives of the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as follows:

•  The human rights organization and bodies should deal with the member nations through their ministries of foreign affairs.
•  The language used in dealing with the organizations should be Arabic since it is one of the six formal languages in the United Nations (UN).
•  The member nations should immediately provide the Secretariat (Security Affairs Sector) with a report on the experiences and standards in dealing with the organizations.
•  The guidelines must not contravene the laws and bylaws of the member nations.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry also announced that the  Nuwaiseeb land border post, which underwent several renovations, is now ready to handle all arriving and departing travelers, reports Al-Rai daily.