Childbirth: A Global Perspective

This course will review challenges for maternal and newborn health in the developing world, where a great many women and babies are suffering from complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and the days following birth. Themes covered include the epidemiology of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, relevant issues for the global health workforce, community-based interventions to improve maternal and newborn health and survival, and sociocultural dynamics surrounding birth. This course provides a broad overview of maternal and newborn health issues facing low-income and transitional countries, where more than 2.6 million babies are stillborn and nearly 500,000 women die during childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications each year. In the developing world, many women deliver at home without a skilled care provider, drugs, or technological supports. Maternal and newborn survival can be improved by mobilizing communities and improving access to skilled care. Through lectures, case studies and readings, course participants will learn about delivery challenges for maternal and newborn health services and how to utilize community-based strategies to improve the health and survival of mothers and babies

• Understand maternal and newborn health challenges in developing countries
• Analyze morbidity and mortality factors among mothers and newborns
• Evaluate community interventions to improve maternal and newborn health
• Recognize sociocultural factors influencing childbirth
• Understand the role of the health workforce in global health settings

• Basic familiarity with relevant health terminology
• Readiness to engage in applied exercises and case studies