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Abstract: Some 50 million women experience pregnancy-related complications, of which 15 million lead to long-term illness or disability, according to a new report by the Panos Institute (London).
Each year, more than 525,000 women die worldwide from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, putting maternal deaths, which are rare in the developed world, second only to AIDS as the leading cause of death in the developing world. And some 50 million women experience pregnancy-related complications, of which 15 million lead to long-term illness or disability, according to a new report by the Panos Institute (London). The tragedy is that almost all of these deaths and adverse outcomes are avoidable, because they stem from cultural practices like early marriage; from unsafe birthing practices; and from lack of access to basic health care services, a problem that has been exacerbated by recent U.S. policy. For instance, the U.S. "gag" rule prevents overseas organizations that receive U.S. government funds from providing abortion counseling, information or services, even with their own funds. The Family Planning Association of Nepal gave up a 26-year relationship with the U.S. Agency for International Development because of the rule. The group's director, Dr. Nirmal K. Bista, said that accepting restricted U.S. funds would mean being prevented from "speaking in my own country to my own government about a healthcare crisis I know firsthand."