Full Article (pdf 74KB) Dr. Mulcaire-Jones is president of Maternal Life International (MLI), starting its twelfth year as a global, non-profit AIDS avoidance and family health services organization based in Butte, Montana. He prac- tices family medicine and obstetrics in Butte. He may be contacted at gmuljones@gmail.com. Dr. Scanlon is MLI’s director of medical programs. He also heads an MLI affiliate called Aiding Infants and Mothers (AIM), an organiza- tion based on Long Island, New York, that helps pay medical bills for needy, pregnant women in Africa and helps provide medicines, equip- ment, and supplies as part of the Safe Passages program. He is a prac- ticing ob/gyn in Huntington, New York. Abstract Maternal mortality in Africa remains unacceptably high. The pre- vailing response to reducing maternal mortality has emphasized “reproductive health” and has failed to clearly focus on those causes responsible for 90 percent of maternal deaths. In contrast, the “Safe Passages” model directs training and resources toward interven- tions that save the lives of mothers and babies. Within the Safe Pas- sages model, a “premise” and an “equation” offer an ethical and strategic framework for maternal health-care development which respects human life and dignity and prioritizes those interven- tions most likely to reduce maternal and newborn deaths. The Safe Passages “equation” emphasizes the key components of respect for persons, safe birth, and fertility literacy. Successful training and development programs should work to insure participants and organizations are inspired, educated, equipped, and evaluated. Full Article (pdf 74KB)
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