About Ammalife

What is our mission?

Our mission is to reduce maternal deaths and disability in the developing world. We aim to do this by bringing relevant ideas, clinical evidence, resources, projects and training to where they are needed most.

What are our Objectives?

To relieve complications of pregnancy and childbirth, and reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality by delivering evidence, resources, projects and training in the developing world.
To promote physical and mental health in women through targeted educational, preventive and therapeutic interventions.
To provide education, training and resources to Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Skilled Birth Attendants (including Midwives, Nurses, Primary care physicians and Hospital doctors) to improve the care of women in pregnancy and childbirth as well as other female conditions.
To maintain an Internet-based, freely available Evidence Resource and Support Network for health care providers interested in women's health and care, particularly in the developing world.
To seek and develop interventions that are a) effective b) safe c) affordable and d) simple to administer in the context of women's healthcare in the developing world.
To address and advise on capacity building, organisational, and policy level issues as well as clinical governance and risk management in the context of women's health and care in the developing world.

What are our shared beliefs?

Our fundamental belief is that we can make a difference to reduce maternal deaths and disability. We, Ammalife members – as obstetricians, midwifes, general practitioners, medical managers, project managers, and other members of the public – both in the UK and abroad – have the motivation, resources, the clinical and organisational knowledge and skills to drive forward changes that will make a difference in the developing world.
We believe Ammalife should be an evidence-informed charity, guided by the well-established principles of the Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) and based on interventions and strategies that have been research and/or field-tested to be effective, so that scarce resources are spent only on effective interventions.
We believe our projects and programmes should be based on enhanced awareness of women’s needs.
We believe in genuine partnerships, collaboration and shared commitment between all stakeholders. We believe projects and programmes that do not have strong local ownership and commitment, not just from the healthcare professionals, but also from the women, families, communities, and the political establishment are generally doomed to failure.
We believe in leaning from the “field” (beneficiaries, practitioners and local organisations) and adapting to local needs and circumstances.
We believe in working within existing health care systems as far as feasible, as such an approach is likely to represent the most effective and efficient way to provide care. We believe the most successful projects and programmes are the ones that are internalised into the existing health care systems.
We believe no effort is too small. Many health care practitioners, for example, can only give limited time towards a charity like Ammalife. We believe it should be the role of Ammalife to be flexible and offer a framework that allows such practitioners with differing levels of time, resources, knowledge and skills to contribute usefully in reducing maternal deaths and disability.
We believe education and continued professional development are central in achieving Ammalife’s mission.
We believe in building sustainability from the beginning of any activity, project or programme so that they become a routine part of clinical practice, and healthcare systems.
We believe in transparency, accountability, and efficiency.