SEA/RC58/R2 The Regional Committee,
SKILLED CARE AT EVERY BIRTH
Recalling World Health Assembly resolution WHA58.31 and its own resolutions SEA/RC53/R9 and SEA/RC56/R9 relating to health of mothers and newborns, Noting with concern the unacceptably high maternal and neonatal mortality in the Region, Recognizing that most maternal and neonatal deaths arise from complications during childbirth or immediately after birth and that almost all of these deaths are preventable considering the availability of skilled care at birth, Acknowledging that a large proportion of women and newborns in the Region do not receive skilled care at birth, and Having considered the report and recommendations of the Technical Discussions on Skilled Care at Every Birth (document SEA/RC58/5) during the Forty -second Meeting of the Consultative Committee for Programme Development and Management at Dhaka in July 2005, 1. a) b) c) URGES Member States: to strengthen national and sub-national planning and programming so as to give due attention to the need for long-term plans and strategies to ensure skilled care at every birth; to identify barriers to equitable access and utilization of skilled care at birth, and to develop evidencebased actions to overcome these; to review the gaps in human resource for skilled care at birth and, as appropriate, to develop or modify human resource policies for skilled care at birth which includes planning, production, placement, retention and career development; to institute appropriate improvements in their health systems to strengthen programme management, health care delivery and quality of care including an effective referral system, and to increase financing, and to improve the demand for continuum of skilled care with special attention to ante- and post-natal care of mothers and their newborns, and REQUESTS the Regional Director:
d)
e) 2. a)
to enhance technical support to Member States in reviewing and revising their human resource policies, strategies and plans and assist in their implementation to achieve skilled care at every birth; b) to assist Member States in strengthening their health systems and provide evidence-based norms and standards to ensure skilled care at every birth, and c) to advocate for increased funding from national and international sources to support national efforts to ensure skilled care at every birth, and assist in the development of a mechanism for global pooling of funds for maternal and child health. Seventh Meeting, 10 September 2005