Networking for Policy Change: An Advocacy Training Manual: Maternal Health Supplement POLICY (August 2003)  Full Document (English)      Order for free      email to me  This document serves as a supplement to Networking for Policy Change: An Advocacy Training Manual, a resource for trainers of family planning and reproductive health advocacy issues worldwide. The training manual includes information on networking, communications, and policy environments; exercises on conceptualizing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating advocacy campaigns; and relevant materials for advocates working in any area of reproductive health. Trainers can use the training techniques employed in the manual in various contexts, including when maternal health is the focus of advocacy. In creating this series of supplements and training modules, the POLICY Project recognizes that certain reproductive health topics require specific information that goes beyond the examples and materials included in the original manual. Maternal health is one of those issues. As with any area, there are special concerns that must be addressed when talking about advocacy for maternal health. The goal of maternal health is to ensure that every woman has access to a full range of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health services especially maternal care and treatment of obstetric emergencies to reduce deaths and disabilities. Issues surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are integrally related to the status of women, and their ability to seek health care. Maternal health is a human right and must be underpinned by laws and policies that support effective action to increase women’s access to basic education, adequate nutrition, economic resources, as well as appropriate health services.