Blog 1: Maternal Health In Nepal

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/health/110824/ghi-nepal-global-health?page=full

This article discusses the deprived maternal health care in poor and developing countries like Nepal, and the actions needed to solve these issues. Many women have lost their lives in Nepal due to unsafe abortions due to the lack of education and support for legalized abortion. Because of issues like this, U.S. President Barack Obama has set up the Global Health Initiative to take a more inclusive approach in improving health care. Specifically, his administration has focused on saving the lives of women, and supporting countries’ priorities in health care. Many anti-abortion advocates in the U.S. oppose Obama’s efforts to raise awareness of safe family planning in developing countries because they believe this is a strategy to connect abortion rights to universal access to universal health. One of the major questions posed is whether the U.S. policy against funding abortions is hurting its efforts to improve health care.

My answer to this question is yes. I do not necessarily support abortion, but it would make since to provide support and education for those who choose to partake in this process rather than them feeling like unsafe abortion is the only option. Those who oppose medical care advancements like this in other countries do not take into account that these countries may not have the technology and the availability of contraceptives like we do in the United States. Not only are women concerned with their health while expecting, they also take into consideration their economic standing while family planning. Twenty-three year old Nepal native, Rita Tamang states that she has a husband and a six year old son. She and her husband did not use contraception because they wanted another child, but she changed her mind. Tamang says that birth control makes her nauseas, and her husband’s income and lifestyle are not sufficient in taking care of her and their son. This shows how people, especially women, in these countries are conflicted when their options are limited. I think that as long as we can fund abortions in our country, we should be able to fund them in other countries.