State Department Screening Builds Enthusiasm for Women Deliver Conference on Maternal Mortality

Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Eric Schwartz hosted a film screening and panel discussion at the State Department on Wednesday, foreshadowing next week's Women Deliver Conference on maternal mortality.

The documentary, Grace Under Fire, follows Dr. Grace Kodindo, an obstetrician from Chad, into some of the most insecure areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where long-standing conflict has critically damaged the health of the population, particularly women. It is also a powerful reminder to humanitarian response organizations and funders that reproductive health programs and services must be an integral part of all emergency response plans. As Dr. Kodindo says in the film, "Reproductive health must be seen as a frontline priority, not something to be considered only after the fighting is over."

Watch our interview with Dr. Kodindo: