Reducing Maternal Mortality in Developing Countries

The Initiative for Maternal Mortality Programme Assessment is close to completing a six year program of global research that identifies and measures the effectiveness of strategies to reduce maternal mortality. This extensive program—funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission, and USAID—has developed new tools to robustly assess maternal health programs in a number of developing countries. This is the first opportunity for the Immpact team to share some key results and selected strategies with colleagues in North America. Their presentation will draw on country experience in the developing world, particularly Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Indonesia. It will also describe current efforts to close the research loop through the translation of evidence into policy and practice at national and international levels.