Assuring Healthier Families

Every year, nearly 300,000 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Tragically, most of these deaths are preventable.

The Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute and UNC WHO Collaborating Center for Research Evidence for Sexual and Reproductive Health — both housed in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health— are committed to putting an end to these preventable deaths. Designated as an academic partner to help coordinate research for the “Every Woman, Every Child” global strategy, the UNC WHO Collaborating Center is part of an international effort aimed at saving millions of lives within the next 15 years.

Led by Herbert B. Peterson, M.D., a Kenan Distinguished Professor and director of the WHO Collaborating Center, the research strategy has measurable goals, including reducing the maternal mortality rate by at least two-thirds between 2010 and 2030. “It’s a great privilege to work on this vital effort,” said Dr. Peterson, shown above with colleague Alison Stuebe, M.D., a Distinguished Scholar in infant and young child feeding and associate professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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