Wilson Center | Maternal Health Initiative

800 women. Every day. ?? Every two minutes, a mother dies from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, many of which are?preventable. ? ?? A new WHO study highlights that 23% of maternal deaths are due to indirect causes?from chronic and infectious diseases like HIV & AIDS, malaria, anemia, and diabetes. These conditions often go?undiagnosed or untreated?until it's too late, putting millions of women at risk. ?? Hemorrhage (severe bleeding) and hypertensive disorders like preeclampsia remain the?leading causes?of maternal mortality, ?? Read more on the drivers of global maternal mortality in?our #PolicyBrief: https://lnkd.in/ew3pPH76 ? #MaternalHealth #MaternalMortality #WomensHealth #ChronicDisease #InfectiousDisease #Pregnancy #GlobalHealth

In 2016, the Canadian Red Cross partnered with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society to address water scarcity and health disparities in the Tharparkar region of Pakistan. The project installed solar-power water pumps in 10 remote communities, which provided not only sustainable water access for the region, but also improved health and hygiene, particularly for women and girls. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eh37Bth2 #Pakistan #WomenandGirls #Sustainability #WaterAccess

India aims to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the WHO deadline. But with only two-thirds of the needed funds allocated, progress has been slow. TB cases dropped from 211 to 199 per 100,000 people since 2016 to 2022, but elimination requires a sharp decline to 44 per 100,000 cases. India is also facing challenges with TB drug stockouts, staff and infrastructure shortages, low diagnostic funding, and high treatment costs which are slowing progress. TB in mothers increases the risk that babies will die by six times, and doubles the risk of their being born prematurely or with low birth weight. TB also causes 6-15% of all maternal mortality. #Tuberculosis #PublicHealth #EndTB #India #TBElimination #MaternalHealth

???Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. Women globally experience?25% more years of poor health than men, with even greater disparities across races and ethnicities. From?PMS, menopause, and PCOS?to chronic diseases, women’s health conditions are often?understudied, underfunded, and undertreated. ?To #AcceralateAction, we must address the women’s health gap through: ?? Inclusion in clinical trials?to understand sex as a biological variable and improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.? ?? Factoring sex as a biological variable?into all research, design, analysis, and reporting.? ?? Addressing health disparities?across different populations and backgrounds.? ?? Bridging the data, treatment, and care delivery gaps?to ensure better outcomes for all women. ?? Visit our website to learn how we can?#AccelerateAction?for women’s health through?research, investment, and eliminating inequities: https://lnkd.in/ewnQFMwp #IWD2025 #WomensHealthMatters #WomensHealthGap #WomensHealth #MaternalHealth #WomensResearch #InternationalWomensDay ?

?? Drivers of Global Maternal Mortality ?? Every 2 minutes, a woman dies from preventable pregnancy-related complications, nearly 800 women every day. Nearly 95% of maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing the highest burden. ?? Key Causes:? ?? Biomedical: Postpartum hemorrhage, preclampsiaa, and sepsis ? ?? Social Determinants of Health: poverty, lack of education, and healthcare access? ??? Humanitarian Crises: conflict leads to insufficient healthcare systems, poor quality of care, and shortages of workers and supplies.? ??? Extreme weather impacts: changing air quality, access to food, prevalence of mosquito and tick-borne diseases? ?? Solutions:? ? Strengthen health systems & invest in maternal care? ? Address social determinants & gender inequality? ? Integrate maternal health into humanitarian & extreme weather events policies? ?? Read more in our #PolicyBrief: https://lnkd.in/ew3pPH76 #MaternalHealth #GlobalHealth #MaternalMortality #SocialDeterminantsofHealth??

???????? Pregnant Women in #Ukraine continue to face the consequences of war. Stress from the war contributes to devastating health outcomes for pregnant women and their families. The national rate for #preterm births in Ukraine is 6% according to 2023 data. The rate rises in areas closer to front-line zones. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the highest rate is in #Kherson, where 11.8% of newborns were born prematurely, almost double the national average. The Kherson region also has the highest #stillbirth rate in Ukraine. ?? Maternal and reproductive health outcomes face?signi?cant challenges during con?ict and crises.?Con?ict often leads to disrupted healthcare?systems, limited access to essential services, and?increased vulnerability for pregnant people and?their children.?Warfare also?destroys healthcare?infrastructure, making it di?cult for pregnant?women to access prenatal care,?safe deliveries,?and postnatal care.?The resulting lack of?skilled?healthcare providers and functional facilities?increases the risk of complications during?pregnancy and childbirth. ?? Visit the link in our bio?to read more about Women and Girls in Wartime in our #PolicyBrief: https://lnkd.in/gSwTSY2W #MaternalHealth #NewbornHealth #PregnantWomen #MaternalHealthInitiative ?

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Endometriosis Awareness Month. Endometriosis affects 10% of women during their reproductive years. It results when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. This tissue responds to menstrual cycle hormones, leading to pain. According to the World Health Organization, more than?190 million women?worldwide are living with endometriosis. According to a recent article by ThinkGlobalHealth.org, an international study published in 2023, revealed that patients waited an average of 9.6 years for an endometriosis diagnosis. The study surveyed more than 2,000 women across 63 countries. Diseases leading to disability, like?Endometriosis, have a significant impact on women’s quality of life but are often overlooked and misdiagnosed. Women-specific conditions are under-researched, under-diagnosed, misunderstood, and under-prioritized. ?? Visit our website to learn more about?endometriosis and women’s health research?through our recent event on?Closing the Women’s Health Gap: Research, Investment, and Eliminating Inequities: https://lnkd.in/ewnQFMwp #MaternalHealthInitiative #Endometriosis #EndometriosisAwareness #WomensHealth #WomensHealthResearch

New on Dot-Mom on New Security Beat and originally appeared on?Americas Quarterly, Wilson Center Fellow Carin Zissis, examines Mexico’s #aging population and the care burden borne by #women. ?? Across #LatinAmerica and the #Caribbean, plummeting birth rates have intersected with soaring life expectancy and, by 2100, more than 31% of its population is expected to be over 65—higher than any other region. ???? In #Mexico, 25%?of the 65-plus population reports being dependent on care for daily tasks—the highest rate in Latin America—and women in this age group tend to be more care-dependent. IDB research?found that women between the ages of 50 and 64 who took care of an aging parent are less likely to work, and work fewer hours. ? ? ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/euCVm_SC? Carin Zissis, Wilson Center | Mexico Institute

? Extreme weather events like floods and extreme heat can significantly impact maternal mental health including increased emotional distress, trauma, and Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs). ?? Post-flood displacement and resource loss can heighten stress, PTSD, and depression. ?? Extreme heat and heatwaves can increase risk of mood disorders, increase emergency department visits, and increase anxiety over infant well-being. ?? Low-income pregnant women are at even greater risks due to financial and transportation barriers, which limits access to healthcare and ability to evacuate. ?? Read more about the direct and indirect impacts of extreme weather events on maternal and newborn health outcomes in our #PolicyBrief: https://lnkd.in/ek4pKuEX #MaternalHealth #MentalHealth #MaternalMentalHealth #NewbornHealth #ExtremeWeatherEvents #Floods #Heat #MaternalHealthInitiative ??

Afghanistan remains one of the most repressive places in the world to be a woman: education is banned, employment is restricted, and even traveling alone is forbidden. Widows in the country, known as “bisarparast”,?find life even more challenging where Afghan society expects women to be under the care of a male guardian. Women who have lost their guardian are left in an extremely vulnerable position, exposed to a high risk of poverty and exploitation. ?? Read more at https://lnkd.in/eKer4VCW #MaternalHealthInitiative #WomensHealth #Afghanistan #WomeninAfghanistan Massoma Jafari Ilja Ormel Faiza Rab Basnama Ayaz Carla Taylor Salim Sohani Sharonya Sekhar Stephanie Murphy