Maternal Health Around the World

Apr 7, 2021
Sarah Moore, M.Sc.

The term maternal health refers to women’s health throughout the stages of pregnancy and childbirth as well as during the postnatal period. Maternal health has a direct impact on both the mother and child.

Every day, approximately 810 women die from causes related to preventable childbirth and pregnancy. Providing good quality maternity care in order to prevent these includes supporting the nutrition of mother and baby, treating diseases, supporting women who are exposed to intimate partner violence, and providing universal access to sexual and reproductive care.

Continued: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Maternal-Health-Around-the-World.aspx

Women’s Rights Are Human Rights

This fight against women's oppression is not just a struggle for women, but for all of humanity.

Tuesday, April 06, 2021

by Alison Bodine, Common Dreams

March 8, 2021, International Women’s Day, is an important day to recognize the
challenges confronted and the great victories made by women around the world,
especially in the past year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over the last 12 months, in addition to the health challenges posed by Covid-19
itself, women have faced increasing rates of domestic violence, higher rates of
job loss, as well as a larger burden of the care of children and families
because of the pandemic. In countries like the U.S. and Canada, government
mismanagement of Covid-19 has amplified the health and economic crisis. Black,
Indigenous, and immigrant women and their communities have been
disproportionately impacted by the crisis.
Continued: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/04/06/womens-rights-are-human-rights

Women First Digital Launches World’s First Abortion Virtual Assistant, Ally, On WhatsApp For World Health Day

eHealth platform & social enterprise brings innovative reproductive health information and services to women around the world via new international toll-free number on WhatsApp

April 06, 2021

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE) - -Women First Digital (WFD), a collection of online platforms providing information and counseling services on safe abortion, contraception, and sexual and reproductive health, is launching a new WhatsApp bot extension for Ally, the world’s first ever abortion virtual assistant, in celebration of World Health Day’s 2021 theme: building a fairer, healthier world. WFD is empowering women worldwide to make informed decisions about their reproductive health with Ally’s new toll-free number 833-221-2559 (ALLY). Ally on WhatsApp will connect global users to accurate information on abortion care and services when they need it most.

Continued: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210406005710/en/Women-First-Digital-Launches-World%E2%80%99s-First-Abortion-Virtual-Assistant-Ally-On-WhatsApp-For-World-Health-Day

LIVE on April 7: The other health crisis—breaking the taboo on abortion

The webinar will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch

Written by Melissa Vida
Posted 31 March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is not the only health hazard affecting people—there's one that's way more persistent. This World Health Day, let's break the taboo topics of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

It is no small feat—in places where it is illegal to terminate a pregnancy, unsafe abortions cause about 30,000 deaths each year, and numerous health complications.

Continued: https://globalvoices.org/2021/03/31/live-on-april-7-the-other-health-crisis-breaking-the-taboo-on-abortion/

31.03.2021

Film, Art, Books

abortion in a pandemic

Covid-19 and abortion

Debora Diniz

Dominika Lasota

Emilie Palamy Pradichit

World Health Organization

Global

Health

Human Rights

Abortion Is an Issue that Attracts Controversy

Is abortion legal in the territory that the Republic of Costa Rica buys?

By TCRN STAFF
March 28, 2021

It is an important year to celebrate the achievements of women, not only
because the world needs good news but because there are many reasons for hope.

Change is always possible even during a pandemic.

The green tide triumphed in Argentina After years of tireless campaigning,
abortion was finally legalized in Argentina in December of last year.

Continued: https://thecostaricanews.com/abortion-is-an-issue-that-attracts-controversy/

28.03.2021

Anti-Reproductive Rights Doctors Are Promoting a Treatment to “Reverse” Abortion

BY Claire Provost, openDemocracy
PUBLISHED March 28, 2021

Doctors in at least a dozen countries, supported by U.S. Christian Right activists, are providing women with a “dangerous” and controversial treatment that claims to “reverse” medical abortions, openDemocracy can reveal today.

Women’s health and rights activists have called for urgent investigation by authorities into these findings – which were described as “horrific” especially during the pandemic when it’s critical for people to trust healthcare providers.

Continued: https://truthout.org/articles/anti-reproductive-rights-doctors-are-promoting-a-treatment-to-reverse-abortion/

Revealed: Doctors worldwide offer ‘dangerous’ treatment to ‘reverse’ abortions

Health experts call for action from regulators to protect women from spread of controversial method supported by US Christian right activists

Claire Provost
25 March 2021

Doctors in at least a dozen countries, supported by US Christian Right activists, are providing women with a “dangerous” and controversial treatment that claims to “reverse” medical abortions, openDemocracy can reveal today.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/revealed-doctors-offer-dangerous-treatment-to-reverse-abortions/

The pandemic has caused as many as 1.4 million unintended pregnancies. Here’s how that impacts women’s lives.

Abigail Higgins, The Lily
Mar. 22, 2021

When the world ground to a halt a year ago, millions of women saw their contraceptive supplies dry up and their routes to replenish them cut off.

New research by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) found that 12 million women couldn’t get the family planning services they needed, leading to an estimated 1.4 million unintended pregnancies.

Continued: https://www.thelily.com/the-pandemic-has-caused-as-many-as-14-million-unintended-pregnancies-heres-how-that-impacts-womens-lives/

How MSF is empowering women through self-care

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders
Mar 12 2021

For many women and girls in New Zealand, the means to initiate self-care is readily available, with sufficient access to contraception, family planning resources and professional advice.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as, "the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability, with or without the support of a health-care provider."

Continued: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/inspire-me/124488046/how-msf-is-empowering-women-through-selfcare

Practicing self-care: empowering women to manage their own health

Médecins Sans Frontières
4 March 2021

We all want the power to invest in our wellbeing, to be able to take care of our emotional, physical and mental health. But without reliable information and appropriate tools, reasonable options and adequate support, it’s not always possible.

Self-care is changing the face of healthcare. It focuses on equipping and entrusting people to take a central role in their own health. For women, this can involve an important shift to being able to make decisions about their own care, when they may not have had this autonomy before.

Continued: https://www.msf.org/empowering-women-practice-self-care

04.03.2021