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FCI receives United Nations Award
The UN honored FCI with the 2008 Population Award in the Institutional Category on May 22, lauding FCI for its leadership, emphasis on partnership, and educational materials. Written remarks from UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, noted “Family Care International is all about cooperation” and then singled out for praise last October’s Women Deliver conference, which “generated new global commitment to reduce maternal mortality rates.” In accepting the award, FCI’s President Ann Starrs said “2008 will be the year that the fifth Millennium Development Goal, improve maternal health, begins to receive the attention it so urgently needs.” She also paid tribute to Jill Sheffield, former FCI president, and the FCI staff and its many partners and colleagues for their tireless efforts to improve maternal health. Ann Starrs is shown with Jill Sheffield, and Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, executive director of UNFPA. Click here to read Ann Starrs' speech.
Countdown to 2015: World not on track to meet maternal health goals
 On April 17th, FCI’s President, Ann Starrs addressed parliamentarians and experts gathered in Cape Town to discuss and debate progress – or lack of progress - towards Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, which address newborn, child, and maternal health. Ms. Starrs is part of a working group that released new data in special issue of the Lancet, reporting that in 56 of the 68 countries, maternal mortality rates remained high or very high. These data suggest that many countries are not on track to reach MDG 5, which calls for improving women’s health by cutting maternal deaths by three-quarters. “We know what works to reduce maternal deaths,” said Ms. Starrs. “Basic improvements in reproductive health services, including family planning, as well as skilled care for all deliveries and emergency obstetric care for those women who have complications, are effective ways to prevent these unnecessary deaths.” Click here to view the complete Countdown special issue of The Lancet.
FCI publications focus on how to get policies implemented
 While national laws and policies in many countries recognize the critical importance of young people’s health and rights, many of these policies not been implemented. FCI has just released Mobilising Communities on Young People’s Health and Rights: An Advocacy Toolkit for Programme Managers that carefully lays out the steps in designing and launching an advocacy strategy to ensure that existing government commitments are translated into concrete programs and services.
Mobilising Communities on Young People’s Health and Rights: An Advocacy Training Guide is a companion piece to the Toolkit. The Training Guide was developed to strengthen the skills of grassroots community-level groups, networks, and organizations to design and plan an advocacy campaign in support of young people’s health and rights.
Available in English. Visit our publications page to download.
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Unsafe abortion kills an estimated 68,000 women each year. Postabortion care is a strategy to reduce the impact of unsafe abortion by treating abortion complications and providing women with counseling and family planning methods to avoid another unwanted pregnancy. FCI is launching the French version of the Postabortion Care flipchart. This set of materials- a flipchart, client brochure, and a user’s guide- guide health care workers providing counseling and community education related to unsafe abortion in French-speaking Africa. Click 
