tailieunhanh - Women’s Health & Abortion: Evidence shows that legalizing abortion does not reduce maternal mortality

The . is committed to aligning GHI investments with partner country plans and strategies, primarily through tech- nical assistance, project-level support, and capacity-building of governments and other local institutions. GHI’s capac- ity-building investments include support for policy development, implementation, management, research, monitoring, and evaluation. In countries where the private sector is a vital partner in providing health care, the . is helping build the capacity of governments to strengthen public stewardship of the private sector and establish and evaluate their own public-private partnerships. These investments will contribute to robust and sustainable health systems that ensure quality and reach of health services. | Women s Health Abortion Evidence shows that legalizing abortion does not reduce maternal mortality Kenyan mother and child Advocates of legalized abortion argue that laws prohibiting or restricting abortion lead to the deaths of many women from dangerous illegal abortions increasing the rate of maternal mortality. This claim is contrary to extensive worldwide evidence. Maternal mortality is determined to a much greater extent by the overall quality of maternal health care than by the legal status or availability of abortion. Legalizing abortion actually threatens women s health and violates basic principles of justice. The problem of maternal mortality A 2010 study published in the medical journal The Lancet shows that deaths worldwide due to maternal conditions deaths of women during pregnancy childbirth or in the 42 days after delivery declined by 35 percent from 1980 to A 2012 United Nations study indicates further decline through This progress is welcome and critical but maternal mortality remains prevalent in the developing world. In many cases basic maternal and prenatal health care are lacking. Often there is no birth attendant the medical environment is not fully sanitary emergency facilities and supplies are absent or inadequate doctors are not trained or equipped to handle obstetric emergencies and basic medical and surgical supplies such as antibiotics and sterile gloves and equipment are scarce or unavailable. The danger to pregnant women is present whether pregnancy is ended by abortion or live birth. The solution Better care Most maternal deaths can be prevented with adequate nutrition basic health care and good obstetric care throughout pregnancy at delivery and postpartum. In the developed world the decline in maternal mortality ratios MMRs the number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births coincided with the development of obstetric techniques and improvement in the general health status of women from 1935 to the 1950s according to