African Women More Likely to Die in Childbirth Than Westerners
A new report reveals that African women are 175 times more likely to die during childbirth than Westerners. These findings, issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), finds that women in sub-Saharan Africa have a 1 in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth.
The report examines maternal mortality in 2000, finding that 95 percent of the 529,000 total maternal deaths occurred in Africa and Asia. There is "an urgent need for increased access to emergency obstetric care, especially in sub-Saharan Africa," according to the report. The report also calls for family planning education and services of high quality because "more lives could be saved if women had access to voluntary family planning to ensure that births are spaced properly, skilled attendance at delivery, and emergency obstetric care."
UNFPA also recently issued its 2003 State of World Population report, this year focusing on adolescents' health and rights. The report calls for access to reproductive and sexual health information and services appropriate to the age, capacities, and circumstance of adolescent girls so that "adolescents who are sexually active can take necessary measure to protect their health." According to the UNFPA, "women aged 15-19 account for at least one fourth of the estimated 20 million unsafe abortions performed each year." The UNFPA calls for more investments in adolescent reproductive health needs and education and a supportive policy environment because "failing to support young people will have serious consequences at both the individual and societal levels."
5/22/2013 Immigration Reform Bill Advances In Senate - Last night, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a sweeping immigration reform bill in a bipartisan vote of 13 to 5. . . .
5/22/2013 Afghan Women Arrested for 'Moral Crimes' Increases 50% - A new report by the Human Rights Watch shows that in the past 18 months the number of women in Afghanistan incarcerated for 'moral crimes' has increased from 400 to 600, a 50% growth.
Many of the women imprisoned for moral crimes were arrested running away from forced or abusive marriages and families, even though there is no law against leaving. . . .
5/22/2013 Army Commander Suspended for Adultery Amid Wave of Sexual Assaults - On Tuesday, Brigadier General Bryan T Roberts was suspended from his position as commander of the Fort Jackson, South Carolina training camp which trains approximately 60% of incoming female recruits pending an investigation into allegations of adultery.
Roberts was suspended following allegations of "adultery and a physical altercation." Colonel Christian Kubik, an Army spokesperson for the Training and Doctrine Command, told reporters "We don't have any evidence of any sexual assault. . . .
