Australia ranks number two for mums

Giving mum an extra reason to celebrate this Mother’s Day, Australia has been ranked for the second consecutive year as the second best place in the world to be a mother, according to Save the Children’s 12th Annual State of the World’s Mothers report.

Released in commemoration of Mother’s Day, the State of the World’s Mothers report ranks 164 countries on women’s access to healthcare, education and opportunities.

Norway is listed as the best place in the world to be a mother. Australia and New Zealand (ranking sixth) are the only two countries representing the southern hemisphere in the top-ten, with the other eight countries in Western Europe. This year, the United States ranks 31st of 44 developed countries, dropping three spots from last year’s rankings. What mums have to celebrate this Mother’s Day varies dramatically, depending on where they live.

Afghanistan is listed as the world’s toughest place to be a mother, where two of every five children are malnourished, and one in five will die before their fifth birthday.

Afghan women have less than 5 years schooling on average, and female life expectancy is only 45, compared to that of Australia, where women typically complete 21 years of schooling and have a life expectancy of 84.

Lynne Benson, Save the Children’s Regional Director of Asia, said, “This Mother’s Day it’s wonderful to see that Australia is again listed as the second best place in the world to be a mother, in terms of healthcare, education and life opportunities.”

“Unfortunately, in other countries women aren’t so lucky, and this report makes it timely for us to give thought to the women who can’t enjoy motherhood. 8.1 million children die each year before the age of five from preventable illnesses, and nearly half of those children die within their first month of life. In many countries, vaccines, antibiotics, and care during pregnancy are hard to reach and as a result child and maternal deaths are very high.”

“This Mother’s Day, we can honour mothers everywhere by helping to empower mothers to celebrate what they want most – healthy children. To stop needless deaths of newborn babies and children, every vulnerable child needs to be within reach of a health worker who is trained, equipped and supported to deal successfully with the principal threats to that child’s life during the first five years of life.”

“By improving women’s and children’s access to health workers who can prevent and treat illness, and therefore give children the opportunity to finish school and earn a decent living, we can help vulnerable families and communities thrive,” said Ms Benson.

The 2011 State of the World’s Mothers report has been developed in America, with leading voices from academia, politics, business and the arts collaborating as ‘champions for children’ to provide a series of essays.

No child born to die

This May, Save the Children Australia has launched ‘No Child Born to Die’, aimed at stopping the needless deaths of the 8.1 million newborn babies and children who die before the age of five every year, most of them from preventable and treatable diseases.

Our aim is to make this an issue that everyone cares about, and to stop this unacceptable loss.

You don’t have to be a parent to know that, today, in 2011, these deaths are totally unacceptable. We’re not waiting for a miracle cure or a wonder drug to save these lives – we know the answer, a health worker within reach of every child.

To stop needless deaths of newborn babies and children and achieve Millennium Development Goal 4 – reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015 – we need a health worker within reach of every vulnerable child. These health workers must be trained, equipped and supported to deal successfully with the principal threats to that child’s life during the first five years of life.

Globally 3.5 million more health workers are needed.

It costs as little as $150 to train and equip a health worker. We believe that every child should get the chance to fulfil their potential, wherever they’re born and whatever their circumstances.

(Source: Save the Children Australia: State of the World’s Mothers 2011)