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On the eve of 60th anniversary of the NHS, Oxfam and parenting website mumsnet.com have launched a new initiative to document memories of childbirth in the UK before access to healthcare became universal.

Maternal mortality in the UK 60 years ago was more than thirteen times higher than the present day, in large part because thousands of mums were unable to access the healthcare they needed in pregnancy and childbirth. Today millions of women in poor countries across the world are dying for exactly the same reason; lack of access to healthcare. In the next minute, this will claim the life of another mum, and this year, half a million mums will die because of poorly equipped hospitals, or because they can't afford to pay health care fees.

The call for memories is part of Oxfam’s campaign to help reduce the number of women who die needlessly in pregnancy and childbirth, which involves campaigners throughout the UK knitting 9-inch squares for a giant baby blanket, with each knitted square representing a mother who did not survive pregnancy or childbirth to be able to care for her baby.

Oxfam Campaigner Sarah Blakemore said: ‘Thousands of beautiful knitted squares are arriving from people who care about the lives of mums around the world, many of the squares are from older women who remember what it was like to give birth without adequate healthcare, or those who remember losing relatives. Huge progress has been made in access to care for pregnant women in the UK in the last 60 years; it’s time to ensure women giving birth across the world get the same rights to care.’

Mumsnet founder Carrie Longton said:’It is appalling that mothers around the world are still dying through lack of basic healthcare. Mumsnet are delighted to be working with Oxfam to help end this scandal’.

The giant blanket will be handed over to the UK Government just before world leaders meet in New York to discuss progress on the Millennium Development Goals, aimed at halving world poverty by 2015. It will represent a demand to global leaders to act now to ensure that everyone in the world has access to free basic healthcare.

To contribute a story about childbirth in the UK before the NHS please contact Sarah Blakemore on 0113 3944293/0778660496, at sblakemore@oxfam.org.uk or send them to Oxfam Campaigns,
47 Park Square East, Leeds, LS1 2NL

ENDS

Notes:

See www.oxfam.org.uk/knitting for more information about the knitting campaign.

To join a group of knitting Mumsnetters locally, click here http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2280/499651

Send completed squares to Oxfam Campaigns, 47 Park Square East, Leeds, LS1 2NL

After the giant blanket has been handed in, it will be dismantled and sold in Oxfam shops and at festivals, with the money raised going towards Oxfam's work to fight poverty.



Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering.

Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International and a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 612172.
Registered office: Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2JY.
A registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SCO 039042)


Contact Name: Sarah Blakemore
Company: Oxfam
Contact Email: click to reveal e-mail
Contact Phone: 0113 3944293
Company Website: http://www.oxfam.org.uk

Tags (click tag to find related articles; click icon for feed):
oxfam | nhs | mumsnet | maternal mortality |

Categories:
charity/voluntary sector
health/medical/fitness
women's interest

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