2019 Reports

Columbia World Projects Forum Report: Maternal Health

Columbia World Projects

Maternal health, the topic of the CWP Forum on which this report is based, is a vital concern for all societies around the world. The wellbeing of pregnant women and mothers, and the care they receive before, during, and after delivery, is integral to the health of every mother and child, and to the families and communities to which they belong. Yet while significant progress has been made in improving maternal health over the last several decades, in recent years the rate of progress in a number of countries has slowed considerably or even regressed. Meanwhile, gaps in access to high quality maternal health care – not only between regions and countries, but also within countries – are growing.

On January 29, 2019, CWP invited approximately 35 experts from inside and outside of Columbia University who represent a range of substantive and institutional perspectives, to deepen our understanding of why it has proven so challenging to achieve global health targets for maternal health, discuss the root causes of the problem, and identify ways in which we might substantially improve maternal health outcomes. Out of nearly 20 ideas proposed and described in this report, three will now be developed further by CWP as potential projects, based on the recommendations of experts at the Forum. Many of the remaining proposals will be pursued through other channels and as they are, CWP will work to foster their development and track their impact.