CASTLE JOINS REP. MALONEY ON MATERNAL HEALTH BILL
Jun 9th, 2010 by David Anderson
Release from the Castle Office
Legislation Could Save Lives of Millions of Women Globally
Washington | June 7, 2010 – Reps. Mike Castle (R-DE) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) recently introduced legislation, the Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope and Dignity Restoration Act of 2010, H.R. 5441, which would authorize funding to prevent and treat women suffering from obstetric fistula, a horrific and debilitating condition that occurs in women after prolonged labor, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
“I am pleased to be working with Rep. Maloney on this maternal health initiative, which will help address the avoidable agony caused by obstetric fistula,” Rep. Castle said. “By focusing on a coordinated and locally relevant approach to prevention and treatment, we can improve the health of women and children around the globe and give them a chance at living full and productive lives.”
“Women around the world are needlessly suffering from the horrors of obstetric fistula. The World Health Organization estimates that between 50,000-100,000 new cases of obstetric fistula develop each year, adding to the estimated 2 million current cases– yet this condition is almost entirely preventable, and treatable in 90 percent of cases when it does occur,” Rep. Maloney said. “This bill will help ease the suffering of women suffering with obstetric fistula and demonstrate the United States’ commitment to the health of women and children around the world.”
The bill supports a comprehensive approach to end obstetric fistula – prevention to eliminate occurrences, treatment to repair those women who already suffer, and rehabilitation to help those recovering fully heal and reenter society. It focuses on efforts to build local capacity and improve national systems to prevent and treat obstetric fistula.
Reps. Castle and Maloney also sent a letter to their colleagues urging them to support HR 5441. The letter also announced a briefing to take place to discuss this devastating issue this Thursday, June 10. The briefing will include presentations from the following people:
Sarah Omega, a Kenyan woman whose dramatic personal story illustrates the trauma of fistula
Joseph Ruminjo, Clinical Director of Fistula Care who worked as a fistula surgeon in Kenya prior to joining EngenderHealth
Josephine Elechi, First Lady of Ebonyi State in southeastern Nigeria and founder of the Mother and Child Care Initiative
Agnes Odhiambo of Human Rights Watch and researcher on this issue.
UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), and EngenderHealth representatives who will discuss successful partnerships in communities to prevent and treat fistula and simultaneously strengthen health systems
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Sounds positive, but it got over looked in the local media. Credit to whom credit is due. Introduction is the first step. It still has to pass.
Is it to help women here in the USA, or is he advocating sending our tax money to another country overseas?
I imagine that this is supposed to offset his past record on womens issues. He will send money to help women in foriegn countries, and yet vote against parental notification of teens having abortions here in the U.S. .
Aw jeez.
Well it wouldn’t be prudent to condemn helping women suffering from horrible pain and I’m thinking this is probably Castle’s plan.
Cause if I had to come up with a more lackluster, little-noticed, can’t be condemned but bound to make me look good in an election year…this would be it.
So he’s in favor of sending monies overseas when…WHO THE HELL REQUESTED THIS?
Help me out here citizens of Delaware, were there buses, vans and SVU’s full of Delaware folks traveling to DC to demand that Delaware’s only Representative in the House send this money to help out women in AFRICA? Perhaps the snail mail buckets were overflowing with letters from Delaware citizens all worried about some little known birth defect that doesn’t even happen in America? Maybe Castle’s Ebox was filled to short circuit from Delawarians demanding that our Representative get on this right away?
And this benefits Delaware….how?
Frank Knotts nailed it. Castle’s hypocrisy is so apparent.