Highlighting Global Issues in Women's Health

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.284
• Date: 01 December 2018
• Author: Arnauld Nicogossian,Bonnie Stabile
• Published date: 01 December 2018

Editorial

Highlighting Global Issues in Women’s Health

Arnauld Nicogossian and Bonnie Stabile

Despite progress made by t he World Health Organiza tion (WHO) Millen-

nium Development Goals, women’s health continu es to be identif‌ied as one of

the major challenges for t he Sustained Developmen t Goals (SDGs). Specif‌ical ly,

the SDGs Goal 3 reaff‌irms th at women and men have diffe rent health-care

needs, and that both sexe s have an equal right to live healthily. Unfortunate ly,

despite all the progress to dat e, globally many women and girl s suffer

discrimination and limi ted access to health care. Wo men are constrained by

lack of f‌inancial resource s and limited mobility o pportunities. In many

countries, women spend l ong hours on domestic work, and suffer from poor

working conditions and g ender-based violence, a ll of which affects their he alth

outcomes.

Pregnancy and childbirth continue to pose many risks, including infections,

malnutrition, and inadequate pre- and postpartum care leading to unnecessary

morbidity and mortality.

The Editors issued a call for manuscript submission in this important area of

health promotion, which generated many submissions, some of which have

already been published in World Medical & Health Policy. In this issue, we

continue to explore some of the health issues faced by women around the world.

Stapleton and Skinner’s article on “Cross-Border Reproductive Care: Two

Lenses in Political Science” presents an overview of institutional legitimacy and

capacity in global governance, understanding patient motivation in seeking cross-

border reproductive services, and the role social scientists can play in promoting

relevant policies.

In “Managing Religion and Morality Within the Abortion Experience:

Qualitative Interviews With Women Obtaining Abortions in the U.S.,” Frohwirth,

Coleman, and Moore explore the science and advocacy to reduce abortion stigma,

and to help millions of women as they navigate their abortion experiences, urging

researchers, clinicians, and advocates to remain aware of the strong connection

between religion and abortion.

World Medical & Health Policy, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2018

326

doi: 10.1002/wmh3.284

#2018 Policy Studies Organization