Greetings from the Improving Pregnancy Outcomes Committee! 

Come join us at the APHA 2006 ANNUAL MEETING in Boston.  The theme for this meeting is "Public Health and Human Rights."  As you will see below, the Improving Pregnancy Outcomes Committee will play a highly visible role at this year’s meetings.

1. Improving Pregnancy Outcomes (IPO) Committee Meeting:

Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Session # 222.0

Please join us for our annual meeting to be held at the APHA Annual Meeting in Boston (See the program for the exact location).  We will set our priorities and goals for the coming year and plan sessions for 2007; we welcome your input.  You do not have to be a member of our committee to attend the meeting; however, the IPO committee always welcomes new members! (Please note: It is listed as a business meeting, but it is our yearly planning meeting).

2. IPO Position Paper to be reviewed by the APHA Governing Council

• The position paper, “Reducing Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Preterm and Low Birthweight Births”, was endorsed by our section at the MCH Mid-year leadership meeting and is now being put forward by the Joint Policy Committee to the Governing Council for approval at the 2006 APHA Annual Meeting. 
  
• The revised version of the proposal is posted online at: http://www.apha.org/private/2006_proposed_policies/2006_policies.htm to be viewed by APHA members.
  
• Please attend the public hearings to provide support for our proposal.  Public hearings are scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Annual Meeting.
  
• We are grateful to the many authors and our MCH committee leadership and members for their support and help in getting the position paper submitted and revised. The co-chairs of this committee as well as our MCH Fellow from last year, Janine Lewis, devoted countless hours in the final revisions of this document. We wish to especially acknowledge the efforts of our MCH Fellow: Thank you, Janine!

3. IPO Podium and Poster Sessions, (Boston, 2006)

We will have two IPO podium and two poster sessions. 

·         Monday, Nov. 6, 2006

      8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

      Session # 3048.0

      Global Perspectives: Macro-Level Screening and Surveillance To Improve Pregnancy Outcomes (Oral)

·          Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2006

      2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

      Session #4177.0

      The Right to Positive Pregnancy Outcomes: Barriers to Care and Other Issues (Poster)

·          Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2006

      8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

      Session #5019.0

      Improving Pregnancy Outcomes (Poster)

·          Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2006

      12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

      Session #5122.0

      Disparities in Pregnancy Outcomes and Access To Care: A Human Rights Issue (Oral)