Islamic Relief and UNFPA come together to improve reproductive healthcare

Islamic Relief and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will today begin a partnership to improve reproductive healthcare for women and men, in a bid to save hundreds of thousands of lives.

The Memorandum of Understanding will be signed at the Global Forum on Strengthening Partnership with Faith-based Organisations organised by the UNFPA in Istanbul.

Every year half a million of women die from pregnancy-related complications, , because they don't have access to suitable healthcare. Millions more are affected by sexually-transmitted infections including HIV and gender-based violence.

Islamic Relief and UNFPA will be working together to ensure that more women and men have access to reproductive healthcare information and services, including during times of emergency

Islamic Relief's Chief Executive, Saleh Saeed will be signing the Memorandum of Understanding. He said "This new partnership between Islamic Relief and the UNFPA marks a new stage in Islamic Relief's work. Islamic Relief already works in many countries to provide essential maternal healthcare, but it is hoped that this work will now be expanded and more lives will be saved."

One of the aims of the Millennium Development Goals is to reduce maternal mortality rates by three quarters. But little progress has been made in meeting this aim, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

"It is a tragedy for the family and for the community whenever a mother dies in child birth. Islamic Relief hopes that by implementing more and better reproductive health projects, we will be able to improve the health of entire communities," said Mr Saeed.

For more information call Helen Mould on 0121 622 0719

ENDS

For further information about Islamic Relief visit www.islamic-relief.com

Islamic Relief is a British international NGO with its Headquarters in Birmingham, UK. We seek to promote sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities through relief and development programmes. Established in the UK in 1984, Islamic Relief is dedicated to alleviating the poverty and suffering of the world's poorest people regardless of race, religion or gender