UNITED NATIONS, New York—The tragic fact that one woman still dies every single minute from complications of pregnancy and childbirth will be the focus of a global conference in London this week. The Women Deliver conference, which will take place on the 20th anniversary of the launching of the Safe Motherhood Initiative, will gather more than 1,500 decision-makers, experts, celebrities, women’s rights activists and representatives of non-governmental organizations from 90 countries. The aim is to attract the political and financial will needed to save the lives of women and children.

During the gathering, to take place at London’s ExCel Centre, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will organize a number of special events to raise awareness of proven methods that will save the lives of the more than 10 million women who perish every generation. These events include:

THURSDAY, 18 OCTOBER

• Birth in a Dangerous Time and Place: The Role of Humanitarian Assistance 

  To highlight the needs of women in a humanitarian crisis, the panel, moderated by UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Purnima Mane, will focus on interventions that can save women’s lives in the aftermath of natural disasters and in conflict and post-conflict situations. These include family planning and emergency obstetric care, as well as other reproductive health services.

  WHERE: Conference Room SG3

  WHEN: 11:00 am- 1:00 pm

• Obstetric Fistula: A Visible Reminder of Inequity in Maternal Health 

  What is obstetric fistula, what are its consequences on women, and what could be done about it? The panel will address these and other questions, feature the perspective of an affected woman, and highlight the importance of prevention, treatment and reintegration.

  WHERE: Conference Room SG16

  WHEN: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

• Delivering the Goods: Reproductive Health and the New Funding Environment 

  This panel will address the consequences of the new and changing development aid environment and the financial consequences for the financing for Millennium Development Goal 5. It will also focus on reproductive health as a critical indicator of the overall efficiency of a country’s health system.

  WHERE: Conference Room SG11

  WHEN: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm,

• Wanted: A New Perspective on Family Planning 

  The importance of sound family planning interventions, and their positive contributions to the health of both women and children, will be the focus of this panel that will be moderated by UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.

  WHERE: Plenary Room

  WHEN: 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

• An Encounter with British Singer Geri Halliwell 

  British singer Geri Halliwell will share her experience as a mother and as a global advocate for women’s rights and maternal health in her capacity as UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador. She will also talk about her own motherhood and her recent visit of health facilities in Zambia.

  WHERE: UNFPA Exhibition Booth

  WHEN: 6:00-6:30

  FRIDAY, 19 OCTOBER

• Faith-Based Organizations and Maternal Mortality 

  Moderated by UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, the panel will discuss the increasingly critical partnerships between faith-based organizations and other stakeholders to promote improved maternal and child health, and to change behaviours among individuals, families and communities.

  WHERE: Conference Room SG14

  WHEN: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

• Advocating for a Neglected Issue: Lessons from Campaigning Against Obstetric Fistula 

  This panel will feature lessons learned from the variety of approaches used at the global, national and local campaigning to end obstetric fistula. These lessons can have broader implications for improving awareness and support for maternal health.

  WHERE: Conference Room SG14

  WHEN: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

• Perilous Passages: Voices from the Front Line 

  This panel will feature the voices, perspectives and experiences of women from different parts of the world. The audience will meet the women behind the statistics and hear their real life stories and experiences. These women will highlight the role of sexual and reproductive health in shaping their quality of life and, sometimes, ensuring their very survival.

  WHERE: Platinum Suite

  WHEN: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

  Women Deliver will be held from 18-20 October, at the ExCel London International Exhibition and Conference Centre (www. excel-london.co.uk/en/)

  More information on Women Deliver is available at www.unfpa.org

  To schedule interviews with UNFPA participants, please contact:

  In London:

  Angela Walker, tel + 44 (0) 7975 805 316, awalker@unfpa.org; or

  Katja Iversen, tel + 1 917 403-3093, iversen@unfpa.org

  In New York:

  Abubakar Dungus, tel. + 1 212-297-5031, dungus@unfpa.org; or

  Omar Gharzeddine, tel. + 1 212-297-5028, gharzeddine@unfpa.org