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Moving Respectful Maternity Care into Practice in Comprehensive MCSP Maternal and Newborn Programs

Publish Date: May 2020
Author: MCSP

Women’s and families’ experiences of childbirth care in health facilities is fundamental to their overall experience of childbirth and to their decision about where to give birth. Childbirth is an experience with deep personal and cultural significance and women and families want, and have the right to, respectful dignified care during childbirth. Studies from around the world, however, describe the mistreatment of women during facility childbirth (Bohren et al. 2015, 2019; Afulani et al. 2019). Mistreatment in childbirth violates women’s and newborns’ basic human rights, violates the fundamental obligation of the health system to provide support and healing in childbirth, and can cause lasting emotional trauma.


Moving Respectful Maternity Care into Practice in Comprehensive MCSP Maternal and Newborn Programs