United Nations Commission for Lifesaving Commodities for Women and Children
The UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children (UNCoLSC) was set up as part of the United Nations Secretary-General's Every Woman, Every Child programme. It is premised on the projection that a strong worldwide intervention has the power to save over 6 million lives by 2015 through increasing access to, and appropriate use of, 13 lifesaving commodities that are underutilized during pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood (especially under-five years). The UNCoLSC therefore works to make these thirteen life-saving commodities more widely available and used in low-income nations to forestall preventable maternal and children deaths.[1]
These thirteen commodities are below with the common barriers or medical conditions that they prevent or help in parentheses:[2]
- Oxytocin - (postpartum haemorrhage)
- Misoprostol - (postpartum haemorrhage)
- Magnesium sulfate - (eclampsia and severe pre-eclampsia)
- Injectable antibiotics - (newborn sepsis)
- Antenatal corticosteroids (ANCs) - (preterm respiratory distress syndrome)
- Chlorhexidine - (newborn cord care)
- Resuscitation devices - (newborn asphyxia)
- Amoxicillin - (pneumonia)
- Oral rehydration salts (ORS) - (diarrhoea)
- Zinc - (diarrhoea)
- Female condoms - (family planning and contraception)
- Contraceptive implants - (family planning and contraception)
- Emergency contraception (family planning and contraception)
References
- UNCoLSC http://www.lifesavingcommodities.org/un-commission-on-life-saving-commodities-from-recommendations-to-impact/
- United Nations. Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, author. Reproductive maternal, newborn & child health : status of 13 UN lifesaving commodities in Uganda (2015-16). OCLC 1028578211.