It is a sign of enormous progress that vaccines are currently available to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases. And health and economic data supports the widespread benefits of regular access to vaccination in public health. Yet it is estimated that 20 million infants or so each year do not have access to vaccination for a number of diseases, including varicella (also known as “chickenpox”).

In 2021, 1.9 million stillbirths occurred globally. A baby who dies at or after 28 weeks of pregnancy,* and is born with no sign of life is classified as a stillbirth. Stillbirths can be caused by pregnancy and childbirth-related complications, like hemorrhage, placental abruption, and pre-eclampsia; maternal infections during pregnancy, including malaria and sexually transmitted infections; prolonged pregnancy to 42 weeks or more; and pre-existing health conditions. Other risk factors include maternal age and smoking during pregnancy.

News about global climate impacts that elevate mortality, wreak weather havoc, and create massive displacement is inescapable. And those are just the stories that make the headlines. Droughts in Africa are estimated to impact 250 million people and displace 700 million more by 2030. Climate impacts brought on by El Niño are devastating the food supply chain, exacerbating Guatemala’s struggle to reduce childhood malnutrition.

Midwives play a central role in maternal and newborn health. So, it is fitting that their efforts took the spotlight at a two-day event – The 5^th Global Midwifery Symposium – held during the first ever International Maternal and Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) in May 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Women who are treated with respect and dignity during childbirth are more likely to have positive birth experiences, feel empowered to make informed decisions about their care, and have better health outcomes for themselves and their newborns. 

A recent report on global maternal mortality by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals a hard truth: the world has been ignoring the needs of pregnant women. While there have been substantial reductions in maternal death rates since 2000, progress has stalled or been reversed in some countries after 2015, even before COVID-19 exacerbated the situation. Nations affected by humanitarian emergencies, conflicts, and other crises fared the worst.

Of the more than 4 million pregnant people in the United States annually, 90 percent report taking at least one medicine during pregnancy, and about 50 percent receive the influenza or tetanus toxoid/reduced diphtheria toxoid/acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. Yet 69 percent of clinical trials conducted in the United States explicitly exclude enrollment of pregnant people.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 2023 State of the World Population (SWOP) Report offers a chance to reflect on what’s at stake in debates over global population. “The question is not whether the human population is too large or too small. The question is whether everyone can exercise their fundamental human right to choose the number and spacing of their children,” said Sarah Craven, Chief of the Washington Office of UNFPA at the virtual D.C. launch of the report at the Wilson Center on April 26, 2023.