Watch on-demand the Harvard School of Public Health's Forum on "Saving Lives that Gives Life: Preventing Maternal Deaths & Advancing Women's Health"

SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND

Investing resources in the health and well-being of women benefits societies in multiple ways. Recent years have witnessed the global development community focused increasingly on advancing women's health. Yet, many challenges — some life threatening — persist. More than 280,000 women died in 2010 during pregnancy and from childbirth complications, according to the United Nations. Many of those deaths and injuries were preventable. Access to quality health care and health education remains crucial. This Forum event featured three unique perspectives — Dean Julio Frenk, who has called for a Women and Health agenda; Professor Ana Langer, who has been a leading researcher and advocate to improve health care for women; and Christy Turlington Burns, who has spurred public interest in preventing maternal deaths through her documentary No Woman, No Cry and her Every Mother Counts advocacy and mobilization campaign.

MODERATOR

• Lisa Belkin - Senior Columnist on Life/Work/Family, The Huffington Post

EXPERT PARTICIPANTS

• Christy Turlington Burns - Director/Producer of No Woman, No Cry; Founder, Every Mother Counts
• Ana Langer - Professor of the Practice of Public Health and Director of the Women and Health Initiative, Harvard School of Public Health
• Julio Frenk - Dean, Harvard School of Public Health and Former Minister of Health, Mexico; Chair of the Board of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health