Global Cause
Maternal health
-
No woman should die giving birth
303,000 women die every year from complications in childbirth, which occur mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa. 99% of all these deaths are avoidable with the right medical care and resources. Maternal mortality rates have declined since 2000 when the UN launched their global strategy to reduce poverty by raising the standard of living for the poorest...
-
Women and COVID-19: five things governments can do now
Governments the world over are struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. While some voices have flagged the impacts on women, gender concerns are not yet shaping the decisions that mainly male leaders are making. Yet many of the impacts of COVID-19 are hitting women hardest. While the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 on all are...
-
s Sponsored
MiMBa: Combatting malaria in pregnant and breastfeeding women
“MiMBa” means pregnancy in Swahili. It also stands for Malaria in Mothers and Babies, an MMV initiative designed to accelerate discovery, development and delivery of appropriate antimalarial options for women who are of reproductive potential, pregnant or breastfeeding. Malaria in pregnancy is a significant public health issue, with 23 million women and girls becoming pregnant...
-
“Zero separation” keeping babies and parents together
The Global Alliance for Newborn Care (GLANCE) launched the “Zero separation. Together for better care!” campaign to enable infant and family centred developmental care in line with COVID-19 precautions. The campaign came about after neonatal units worldwide adopted a separation policy, limiting or prohibiting access of parents to neonatal care units1. Yet, separation in this...
-
Could COVID-19 be a turning point for women and girls’ sexual health?
Nothing is inevitable about the way the world will rebuild its systems and societies after COVID-19, but the choices we make now about what, how and who we support will shape the future of our planet for decades. Although women of reproductive age are not among the most at-risk groups for contracting COVID-19, the pandemic...
-
COVID-19 has disproportionately affected black mothers in America
Today, black American women are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women, regardless of education, income, or other socioeconomic factors. This dismal truth is a brutal indicator of the pervasive inequalities in our systems. During the Black Lives Matter movement, inside the confines of the global COVID-19 pandemic,...
-
s Sponsored
Financing catalyses innovation for newborns
Each year, 20,000 newborns die in Cameroon, primarily because they are born too early or are very small at birth. In response, a consortium of partners led by the Government of Cameroon sought to scale a simple, proven life-saving method nation-wide. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) has proven to reduce newborn mortality in multiple countries through...
-
How a simple blood test can improve pregnancy care?
Preeclampsia — a potentially serious condition that affects women in pregnancy — is difficult to diagnose. Thankfully, a new test is better able to predict who might develop it. We live in a world where women outnumber men, yet statistics show that women’s medical needs are continually underestimated and often go unmet. Perhaps this is...
-
Know the symptoms of pre-eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia can have serious implications. Not every pregnant woman displaying symptoms will have the condition — but close monitoring is vital. Different century, same maternal health problems Pre-eclampsia has long been a leading cause of maternal mortality in pregnant women around the world — and it still is, says Dr Manu Vatish, Clinical...
-
Stalling HIV progress is a wake-up call to the world
Progress in stopping new HIV infections among children has stagnated, missing global targets set for 2018. Countries have to look at why this is happening if 2020 targets are to be met. The news is concerning. In July, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) published its Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free report,...