White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood

WaterAid joined the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood on Mother’'s Day 2010 in the UK to help step up the fight to improve maternal health around the world.

What is the White Ribbon Alliance?

The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is an international coalition of individuals and organisations formed to promote increased public awareness of the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women and newborns in the developing, as well as, developed countries.

With members in 146 countries and National Alliances established in 15 – Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia – WRA is amplifying the voices of people suffering from the greatest burden of morbidity and mortality of complications due to pregnancy and childbirth.  

Why is WaterAid working in this coalition?

Joining forces with the White Ribbon Alliance to raise awareness of safe motherhood makes absolute sense for WaterAid. Bringing a child into the world should be a moment of joy and celebration, but millions of mums in the developing world are currently at risk of death during pregnancy or in childbirth. In fact, one woman dies every minute around the world from pregnancy related complications. Safe water and sanitation have a crucial role to play in reducing both maternal and child mortality.

During pregnancy and child birth, access to safe water and sanitation as well as better hygiene practices reduce the risks for mother and child, whether it is in their homes or at birth centres. It is a scandalous fact that women and children are denied the protection afforded by these basic services when they are at their most vulnerable. So WaterAid is partnering with the White Ribbon Alliance to strive to improve the lives of mothers and their children everywhere.

What have we done before?

September / October 2010: WaterAid participated in the Mum's café at the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative Party Conferences. This gave us the opportunity to sip tea with MPs, Ministers, journalists and party members whilst promoting maternal health and campaign on the prevention of deaths due to inadequate facilities in health care and supervision within developing countries.

July 2010: Celebrities urge G8 leaders to reach Millennium Goals to save women and newborns

March 2010: WaterAid joins the White Ribbon Alliance on Mother's Day