By Tim Saunders on
Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has launched a campaign to help provide better care for women during childbirth.
Halliwell joined Sarah Brown – wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown – at the UK’s House of Commons on Wednesday, May 6, to highlight a new parliamentary report which claims up to 20 million women suffer serious injuries during the birth process each year.
“Women are at the heart of their families, communities and countries,” she said. “Their health and survival has a huge impact on the economy and the environment, and on peace and stability. This is not about charity – this is about humanity.”
The singer was at the event as part of the White Ribbon Alliance, an international coalition of individuals and organizations formed to promote increased public awareness of the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women and newborns around the world.
“When you save the life of a mother, so much survives with her,” said Sarah Brown. "For if a health system can cope with mothers in pregnancy and childbirth, then it will be able to cope with so much else. A health system that works for mother will work also for early infant care, for vaccinations, for infection control, for blood transfusions, for emergency surgery for every member of the community.
“Today’s report gives a host of examples that show that when people have access to health care, mothers do not die or suffer injury in childbirth. It tells the story that by building for mothers you build for everyone. The world relies on women and mothers who are well and full of energy for all that they do. That is why maternal health and this report are so important.”
Copyright © 2009 Look to the Stars
