Officials: In Ghana, cell phones reduce maternal mortality
In Ghana’s Amensie village, where the Millennium Villages project made mobile phones near ubiquitous in 2006, deaths related to childbirth have fallen from 20 per year to zero in 2008, according to local health officials. Local health workers attribute the improvement in part to women’s new-found emergency access to health workers through cell phones and the district hospital’s new ambulance.

Uganda readies female genital-mutilation law
A Bill outlawing female genital mutilation is ready to be presented to the House for the second reading and be passed into law, MPs have been told. Addressing a regional parliamentary workshop on the theme “Consolidating political will for child well being” at Imperial Royale Hotel yesterday, the chairperson of the committee on gender, Beatrice Lagada, blamed the practice for the high drop out rates in Universal Primary Education (UPE).

$24 billion would slash maternal-mortality rates
Doubling current funding to $24 billion for basic health services could cut maternal-mortality rates in developing countries by nearly half, a United Nations Population Fund and Guttmacher Institute report says. Widespread availability of routine delivery care and family-planning services would prevent the deaths of 400,000 women and 1.6 million babies a year, and cut unintended pregnancies by two-thirds, according to the report.

Somalia violence exacts heavy toll on civilian population
Violence has forced half a million Somalis to flee their homes this year and left half the population in need of food aid, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the country to Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Sudan.

South Africa announces universal care for HIV-positive babies
South African President Jacob Zuma has vowed to ensure those younger than 1 year old that test positive for HIV/AIDS will receive treatment. South Africa has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infections in the world, and an estimated 59,000 are born HIV-positive every year.

Deadly salmonella strain taking toll on Africa
A new drug-resistant strain of salmonella bacteria has emerged in Africa, causing death in one of four cases among children and vulnerable adults, British and African researchers reported. Individuals weakened by malaria, anemia and HIV/AIDS are particularly susceptible, researchers said.

UN launches massive Humanitarian Appeal
The United Nations launched its largest annual Humanitarian Appeal, calling for $7.1 billion in funding from rich countries to provide humanitarian assistance to 48 million people in 25 countries. Funds will be shared by 380 relief organizations working to help vulnerable communities overcome the effects of natural disasters and armed conflict.

WHO takes new position on HIV drugs for breastfeeding mothers
The World Health Organization is reversing its position on the administration of anti-retroviral therapy drugs used to treat HIV, advising they be given sooner to breastfeeding mothers in hopes of preventing transmission of the disease — a position that will call for more treatments for many more people. Though falling prices have widened the number of people receiving anti-retroviral treatments, particularly within poor countries, fewer than half of those who require treatment currently receive it.

Women’s rights key to climate change — and vice versa
Noting that women must work harder to care for food and hygiene as global temperatures rise, UN Population Fund Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said women must play a greater role in forging an agreement on climate change. Improving education and health care access for women — especially within developing countries — will help to control population growth and increased strain on limited resources. Experts observe that women’s participation can ensure creative solutions to problems that weigh most heavily on women within a given community.