Mumbai, Tuesday, April 18, 2006:

Interactive Health Camps held Nationwide in over 100 towns

Mumbai, April 18, 2006: Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and AstraZeneca have been working closely for the cause of spreading awareness on ‘Safe Motherhood’ by undertaking various campaigns dedicated to combat maternal mortality in India. Taking the initiative forward, this year, FOGSI in partnership with AstraZeneca has embarked upon Suprabha Ganga Yatra, along the Ganges, to conduct health camps in over 100 cities to spread awareness of safe delivery and motherhood among rural women. Suprabha Ganga Yatra is a nationwide intensive effort to spread awareness among the rural population throughout India by educating them on safe motherhood in their own local languages. The objective behind the Yatra is to make rural women aware of the services that are available at their disposal today.

Maternal Mortality is the most shocking and yet the most ignored public health problem across the world. The numbers are staggering - every year approx 600,000 women die of pregnancy-related causes globally and 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries. India alone accounts for 25% of these deaths, and has the third highest maternal mortality rate at 407 per 1,00,000 births, below Timor-Leste (800) and Nepal (415) in the South-East Asia region. Even countries like Thailand and Malaysia have a lower Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) than India.

According to Dr. Duru Shah, President, Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India, “We have initiated the ‘Suprabha Ganga Yatra’ to spread awareness of safe motherhood thereby advancing the agenda for reproductive health in a number of ways. Reducing Maternal Mortality is not solely about saving women's lives, it is about increasing the general quality of care and the information mothers-to-be receive before becoming pregnant. Educating the youth, particularly young women about pregnancy management will help them and the professionals treating them, by empowering them to make responsible choices, allowing them to lead healthy lives for themselves and their children. The earlier young India is exposed to the preventive aspects of health, as well as dangers of unnatural sex, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted disease including HIV/AIDS, the faster we can recognize and achieve our economic and developmental goals and objectives required to propel India into the ‘Asian Century’”.

The 2400 km walkathon has 30-40 FOGSI member doctors walking 20 kms daily along the Ganges starting from Gangasagar to Gaumukh and Gangotri.

As part of the Suprabha Ganga Yatra, FOGSI member doctors have been visiting villages along the Ganges, conducting health camps for women, with a special focus on younger women, educating them about reproductive health, vaccinating young girls with Rubella vaccine in order to protect them against German measles during pregnancy, giving basic medicines, iron and calcium tablets, etc.

The Suprabha Ganga Yatra is tied in closely with FOGSI’s contribution to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) launched by the Prime Minister in April 2005 to substantially reduce maternal and infant mortality from communicable diseases in the next four years.

Doctors say lack of skilled birth attendants and absence of primary medical care centres combined with ignorance among families have resulted in India having one of the worst report cards on Maternal Mortality in the world. When a child is born, it's important to get proper care. If the baby is delivered by an unskilled person, then both the mother and child are at risk.

In a country where a majority of women are still delivering outside hospitals, India has to urgently address this situation.

“AstraZeneca has always been committed to its Safe Motherhood Campaign initiatives. In FOGSI’s Suprabha Ganga Yatra, we saw a common platform that would help us reach out to our audiences in rural India. We are committed to our partnership with FOGSI in the pursuit towards our Safe Motherhood objectives in India,” said Bhasker Iyer, Managing Director, AstraZeneca India Pvt. Ltd,

About FOGSI
FOGSI is a group of 180 Societies with a approximately 20,000 members all over the country. FOGSI was formed in 1950 when the Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of Bombay, Madras, Bengal, Ahmedabad and Punjab resolved to amalgamate themselves into the Federation. The Federation was registered and had its headquarters in Mumbai. The Federation is affiliated to the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and was a Founder Member of the same in 1954. FOGSI has been dedicated to women healthcare awareness programmes and has been a pioneer of youth programmes for several years.

About AstraZeneca

In India, AstraZeneca’s presence includes: AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited (AZPIL), the Marketing Company, with products in six major therapeutic areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Maternal Healthcare, Infection, Respiratory & Neuroscience and a world-class manufacturing unit conforming to WHO current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).

Maternal Healthcare at AstraZeneca is a special portfolio unique to India. This portfolio is aligned towards the local health issue of high maternal mortality. AstraZeneca is committed towards combating maternal mortality and making Safe Motherhood a reality for Indian mothers.

Media contact:
Roma Pereira Talwar/Bhavna Thapar
R&PM:Edelman
Mobile: 9820182480/9819088948
Email: roma.pereiar@rnpmc.com/bhavna.thapar@rnpmc.com