The Dean of the Fiji School of Medicine,
Regional Representatives of UNFPA, Mr. Dirk Jena
Representative of the Australian high Commission,
 Invited guests,
 Ladies, gentlemen and children

I am privileged to be here today. The launch of Fiji White Ribbon Safe Motherhood Initiative is timely.  Around the world, at least 1600 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every day.  50 more million suffer from permanent disability and long-term illness.
In Fiji, 5 to 8 women die every year from pregnancy and childbirth complications and many more suffer from long term disability. Also an average 140 newborns die with in 7 days of delivery every year in Fiji.

Death and suffering from pregnancy and childbirth complications are always potentially preventable. Our Ministry of Health data indicate that a significant proportion of the death and suffering from pregnancy and childbirth are related to:

• Lack of knowledge and awareness on the importance of early booking
• Many mothers being unaware of the danger signs of pregnancy
• Mothers with pre-existing medical conditions who are simply ignorant of the seriousness of their medical condition especially in relation to heart disease in Pregnancy
• Women who fear visiting the hospital and the type of services that is provided
• Social Environments that do not prioritize the need for mothers to access professional maternal and baby care in a timely manner
• Geographical isolation as a barrier to many women in the interior and outer islands in Fiji
• Poor socio-economic status

Safe motherhood means ensuring that all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy through pregnancy and childbirth.“Safe motherhood is a human right . . . if the system lets a woman die, then the system has failed totally. Our task is to ensure that in the next decade safe motherhood is not regarded as a fringe issue, but as a central issue”. Government has wholeheartedly embraced these initiatives and Ministry of Health has embarked on a number of programs aimed at improving access to quality Maternal and Neonatal Health services. These include:

• Developing and Maintaining health facilities throughout the country
• Supporting the development of the Maternal health Clinical Service Network which with the support of FHSIP, WHO, UNFPA, and th Pacific Society for Reproductive Health have been able to conduct continuing medical education workshops for our health professionals
• Supporting and Facilitating with UNFPA a major review of Health Facilities especially in terms of Family Planning service and Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Service. This review is expected to help us maximize the use of available resources for maternal and neonatal health in order to make pregnancy a safer experience in Fiji.
• Initiating and facilitating (with the of UNFPA, WHO, and UNICEF) current efforts to develop a National Reproductive Health Policy that will help us formulate and review action plans in order to have an impact on improving maternal and neonatal health in Fiji
• A partnership program with the Ministry of Education on strengthening health education in Educational institutions. This will include strategies appropriate for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions with a view of targetting our children and young people well before marriage.     

Tody we launch this Fiji White Ribbon Safe Motherhood Initiative which represents the commitment of the Ministry of Health to facilitate greater community involvement in the cause of making pregnancy a safer experience for mother and baby. The initiative is a local coalition of Ministry of Health, and other non-government groups and individuals formed to promote increased public awareness of the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women in Fiji.

The Fiji White Ribbon Safe Motherhood Initiative is an offspring of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, which is an international coalition of organizations.. In addition, it complements the work of the International Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI) led by partnership of key international organizations including UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, World Bank and others.

This initiative represents our understanding that for this noble cause to progress we must create opportunities for new partnerships that can strengthen and advance women’s health and rights everywhere. This initiative will also compliment government’s commitment to the MGD 4 and 5.

The White ribbon safe motherhood initiative will not only target Women of reproductive age group but also

• Family decision makers (husband, in-laws, children, extended family & others)

• Community opinion leaders (religious, women group leaders, locally elected leaders, others).
• Community health providers involved in maternity care.
• Health facility based health professionals (private and government).
• Birth attendants (professional or traditional)
• Colleagues at work places
• Policy makers
• Private sectors
• Business sectors & Commercial bodies
• Media

The initial strategies of the Fiji white ribbon safe motherhood initiative will centre on:

• Creating demand and support for antenatal care through early Booking.
• Creating environment where each mother will have a birth preparedness plan that ensures access to clean and safe delivery by a skilled provider.
• Creating environment where each mother will have a Complication preparedness plan that focuses on preparing the mother and the people around her to recognize complications and plan for money, transportation, access etc.

Finally, the white ribbon,  is dedicated to the memory of all women who have died in pregnancy and childbirth. It is a symbol that unites the individuals, organizations, and communities who are working together to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women. Not only does the color white signify grief and death, but it also signifies hope. A hope that for mothers and their families, pregnancy and childbirth will always be a rewarding experience.

I  launch of the White Ribbon Safe Motherhood Inititiative and I wish the organizing committtee all the best in their endeavors with governments fullest endorsement.

Dr Neil Sharma.
Minister of Health