Social, cultural and technological determinants of maternal and neonatal health.

This editorial introduces an issue of the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics that publishes the proceedings of the International Association for Maternal and Neonatal Healths (IAMANEH) 1997 conference. The editorial opens by describing IAMANEH as a non-profit nongovernmental organization (NGO) created in 1977 to improve maternal and neonatal health worldwide. IAMANEH is a federation of approximately 36 national societies and is different from other international associations in this area because it clearly prioritizes developing countries and is based in NGOs. IAMANEH conferences are distinguished by the fact that they are organized to draw attention to a specific theme; for 1997 this was the social cultural and technological determinants of maternal and neonatal health. The proceedings of this conference deal with the maternal/neonatal health determinants of violence the appropriate use of technology abortion adolescence sexually transmitted diseases HIV/AIDS the role of midwives and the role of traditional birth attendants.