Women’s health in perspective: Framing problems, framing solutions

The launch of the Safe Motherhood Initiative 20 years ago was a significant milestone in global health. Until that point deaths among women during pregnancy and childbirth in developing countries had been largely ignored by the global health community which led to the question "where is the M in MCH?". Women were being asked to safeguard their childrens health with a number of preventive interventions while receiving few services to support their own health and well-being. They were valued as caretakers but overlooked as individuals in their own right. The Safe Motherhood Initiative attempted to balance the global health landscape and made the reduction of maternal deaths a global priority. (excerpt)