International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Consul general of the United States Embassy in Nigeria Jeffrey Hawkins has told fistula patients in the country that they will continue to receive support from the US government.

Obstetric fistula patients have been speaking about their experiences after completing vocational courses at the Fistula Rehabilitation and Reintegration Center in Bong County, Liberia.

The Monrovia News reports that 18 women earned certificates after training in soap making, tie and dye, cosmetology and tailoring.

Abimbola Fashola, wife of the Lagos State governor, has said that the key to improving the region's maternal and newborn health care is to share information.

The Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria has stated that there were at least 11,600 maternal deaths in the country over the last three months - a figure that equates to around 45 cases a day.

Participants believe that plans to improve the health care on offer to women during the perinatal and neonatal periods in the Americas are developing well.

The World Bank has approved a $170 million grant for primary health care pilot projects in three Nigerian states.

To mark this year’s International Women's Day a long-term campaigner for women’s rights has said that educating communities about female health issues is of paramount importance.

International Women's Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the tremendous strides made in women's health and gender equality, but it must also serve as a reminder of the challenges that remain, experts have said.

An online game that aims to raise funds for the Half the Sky Movement, which wants to end the oppression of women and girls worldwide, has been launched.

First Lady of Zambia Christine Kaseba has expressed concern that the country's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on health may not be reached by their 2015 target.

She explained that little had been done to act on the goals and most people in the sub-Saharan region were still living in poverty.