Mexico National Safe Motherhood Committee, Comite Promotor por una Maternidad Segura En Mexico

The Mexico Safe Motherhood Committee is a network of national and state-level civil society organizations, academic, and governmental institutions whose mission is to promote safe motherhood through intersectoral dialogue and joint action. With this award, the Committee is promoting the integration of midwives into the Mexican health system by targeting sites that employ midwives to help strengthen support for their work, and their possibilities of success. In five states, the Committee is bolstering and raising the visibility of existing maternal health houses, primary care centers, and other facilities that provide women with quality, women-centered care by trained midwives. It is also working with local health authorities and health providers to open five new sites with midwives providing the full range of maternal health care. The project will result in a strengthened network of health centers, greater recognition of how they help improve maternal health outcomes, and a greater number of health sector leaders who can speak about and advocate for a midwifery model of care. Stronger health centers and more vocal champions are meant to help generate greater movement toward this model at a larger scale.

In coordination with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Mexico Safe Motherhood Committee will organize a series of meetings to promote the expansion of professional midwifery in Mexico and to increase commitment among key stakeholders from government, particularly with the Ministries of Health and Education. Guerrero and Chiapas, two states with high maternal mortality ratios, will receive more targeted support and follow-up so that policymakers, education authorities, and health planners can design appropriate state-level strategies to professional midwifery.

A $350,000 grant over three years to the Mexico Safe Motherhood Committee, composed of government and civil society agencies, will support the development and implementation of reproductive and maternal health policies and programs, with emphasis on southern states with large indigenous populations, Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca where access to quality maternal health services is limited.

To strengthen professional midwifery and improve the accountability and implementation of the federal maternal health program (over 18 months).

To support efforts to decrease maternal mortality in Mexico (over three years).