Dear RMCH Supporter and Friend                                                                  

The Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (formerly RFPD) celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2020.  When it was founded in 1995 by Rotarians from Germany, Nigeria and the US, the issue of population growth and reproductive choice was high on the global agenda. The UN Conferences on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt (1994) and the Conference on Women and Gender Equality in Beijing, China (1995), were critical for families and nations in that they placed the rights of women at the center of investment for achieving global health and sustainable development goals.

RMCH has sustained this focus over time, while shaping our investments in support to Rotarians, women and communities around the world. In 1995, the global population was 5.7 million with 45% living in cities; in 2020, the total population is estimated at 7.8 million with 56% living in cities and it is estimated that by 2030 global population will be about 8.5 million in largely massive urban centers.

The issue of impact at scale is one that is important for Rotarians, whether in the area of polio eradication, preserving the environment or women’s health. By ensuring women have the children they want through family planning and survive the pregnancy and delivery through better health care, and their children receive the services and support they require to thrive, RMCH is fulfilling that commitment at scale. We know that healthy births lead to greater economic prosperity, which allows families to make decisions about family size, which is better for both families and their communities.

RMCH is focusing on five major strategies for 2021 that need your support:

· Enhancing access and quality of family planning delivery and use among families that want to space their children

· Improving the capacity of health systems to provide quality maternal and infant care

· Ensuring the women have opportunities in the workforce that support their reproductive rights and employment skills

· Empowerment of women and girls

· Focusing on the full range of services that women need to preserve their health and well-being throughout their lives.

Exemplary work on these issues is ongoing with health systems in Nigeria, India and Pakistan and with vocational centers in a range of countries across the globe. 

For more information about RMCH projects and what you can do to get involved, please visit our website at www.RotaryRMCH.org. 

Our projects are co-funded by governments, foundations and caring Rotarians like yourselves. We receive no funds from Rotary International. So please join or renew your membership or make an additional donation to RMCH to help women and children around the world.

Sincerely, The RMCH Board

Chairman                  Chief Executive Officer           General Secretary

 John W Townsend          Robert Zinser                        Buck Lindsay

Photo Credits: RMCH by Daniel Kempf-Seifried