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Will Trump’s Global Family Planning Cuts Cause Side Effects?
Actress and U.N. Population Fund Goodwill Ambassador Ashley Judd visited a refugee camp in Mafraq, Jordan in 2016. AP Photo/Raad Adayleh Written by Rachel Sullivan Robinson, American University School of International Service President Donald Trump is leading an assault on family planning around the world. Most recently, his administration cut off U.S. contributions to the…
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New Maternal Health Mobile App for Tanzanian Women Seeks Crowdfunding
The more technology improves in low-and-middle income countries the quicker mobile apps will be invented and scaled to better people’s live. We already know that banking apps have transformed the exchange of money and have helped economies like Kenya’s thrive. Now, innovators are looking to create more and more mobile apps to transform health care…
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Despite Differences in Culture, US and India Fall Short in Childbirth in Similar Ways
Woman in labor, shown with monitors. Neel Shah, Harvard Medical School After eight years of practicing obstetrics and researching childbirth in the United States, I know as well as anyone that the American maternal health system could be better. Our way of childbirth is the costliest in the world. Our health outcomes, from mortality rates…
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Video: The Global Gag Rule Explained
More than likely you have heard about the Global Gag Rule also known as the Mexico City Policy this week. You can learn more about it in a previous post: Why the Global Gag Rule Will Increase Maternal Mortality. To get right to the point, however, Planned Parenthood released this video: What is the Global…
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10 Organizations and Birth Centers That Save Black Mothers’ Lives #MaternalHealth (Updated)
All maternal mortality and morbidity data in the United States report the same thing: black women die in disproportionately high numbers when compared to non-Hispanic white women. In fact, black women are four times more likely to die during or after childbirth than white women. One of the biggest statistics is black women — no…
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9 Facts We Learned in 2016 About Maternal Mortality in the United States
Texas has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world. (Source) In Texas, cardiac events, overdose by licit or illicit prescription drugs, and hypertensive disorders are the leading causes of maternal death. (Source) White women had the highest rates of diagnosed mental illness of any kind (depression as well as other psychological illnesses)…
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Double Your Donation Today By Giving to World Vision #GivingTuesday
When I travel to low-income countries I am most interested in learning about and reporting on maternal and newborn health. As a mother of two daughters it is my biggest passion. Today on Giving Tuesday I am proud to work with one of my favorite international nonprofit organizations: World Vision USA. I had the distinct opportunity…
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Join Shanti Uganda’s 2015 Doula Training, “Birthing and Beyond”
By our partner, The Shanti Uganda Society On August 27th to September 4th, The Shanti Uganda Society will be hosting its fourth annual doula training in Uganda, East Africa, the country considered to be the Pearl of Africa. The program has been running since 2012 and has received much positive feedback. A previous student described her…
