CALDER Valley MP, Christine McCafferty, joined a high-profile march across the Millennium Bridge in London to highlight worldwide childbirth fears.
The walkers were hoping to raise awareness of the hundreds of thousands of pregnant women in many developing countries who find themselves at as great a risk of death in childbirth in 2010 as women in the UK did 100 years ago.
The event was held to mark the 100th International Women’s Day and was supported by Prime Minister’s wife Sarah Brown, Patron of the White Ribbon Alliance, the musician Annie Lennox and actress Cheryl Lunghi.
Ms McCafferty hosted a Mum’s Café in Parliament, supported by The White Ribbon Alliance, to give MPs the opportunity to be briefed on maternal health and publicly show their support for safe motherhood worldwide.
She said: “The numbers of women worldwide who are dying and suffering as a result of childbirth or pregnancy-related causes is unacceptable. One woman dies every minute.
“The vast majority of deaths and morbidities are preventable if basic healthcare systems are in place.
“In the UK in the last 100 years we have taken great strides in improving maternal health and maternal deaths are now extremely low. We must ensure that women worldwide are not dying and suffering needlessly. I believe that political leaders need to honour their promises and ensure that women’s health is their top priority”.
