Dear MEP,               
May 8th is Mothers Night. It is a night to commemorate the more than 500,000 women who die annually from pregnancy or child-birth related complications, of which 99% come from developing countries. It is a night to remind the European Union and its Member States of their commitments made under Millennium Development Goal 5, “improve maternal health”.

 It is 10 years since the Millennium Development Goals were formulated. Millennium Development Goal 5, with the targets to reduce maternal mortality and to achieve universal access to reproductive health for all by 2015, is the goal where the least progress has been made. Policymakers lament this lack of progress, saying it’s a shame. Looking more closely however, the funding for prevention of unwanted pregnancy by comprehensive sexuality education and the provision of family planning services has decreased 34% since 2000, whereas the funding for basic reproductive health services modestly increased since the adoption of the MDGs. So despite talking about political will, this is not being translated in subsequent funding for Millennium Development Goal 5 and the lack of progress should therefore come as no surprise.

We therefore call upon you to do everything within your power to prevent needless deaths and ill-health and make sure Millennium Development Goal 5 is really prioritised with sufficient and sustainable funding.  For more information, please see www.mothersnight.org
 Yours sincerely,
 Claudia Taylor-East
Director – SOS Malta