Women’s Health
The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rocks the world. In our constitution, the state promises to protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn. However, a lot of great risks threaten the lives of our mothers and our would-be mothers. Thus, what should be done if the lives of women, as an entirety, are already at risk? Isn’t it but fitting to ensure that women, who can bear lives in their wombs, are also well taken care of? Isn’t it just right that no life should end in giving life?
The health of women has always been subjected to several risks and factors over the years, especially in developing countries where discrimination against women may still be rampant and where health, per se, is not given enough attention. The health conditions of women may also be greatly affected by social norms and gender issues, which may affect the rate of attainment of the basic health services entitled for them. Poverty, which is common in these developing countries, is also an obvious consideration in the health of women, as equitable health care financing remains to be a struggle and a challenge. According to a statement by the World Health Organization (WHO), feeding practices (malnutrition) and use of unsafe cooking fuels (COPD) have also contributed alarming risks to women’s health.
True enough, from a report by WHO, indoor smoke coming from cooking with fires or traditional stoves are responsible for half a million of the 1.3 million annual deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among women worldwide. Moreover, 1600 women die every 24 hours due to preventable complications using pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal health, poses a great danger to women’s health, to which it is closely related.
In spite of all these harsh realities endangering the lives of our women, several measures have been taken around the world, in every nation and in every home, to combat the continuity of these occurrences and to further protect women from health risks.
Close-up of Women’s Health
The importance of maternal health care and women’s health, in general, has been further emphasized in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) formulated by the United Nations. In connection with this, improved maternal health has been listed as its fifth goal. Along with the other goals, this aims to protect the welfare and the lives of the mothers who may be at risk anytime at their lives.
Indeed, women play a great and delicate role in the society. The women are the ones most likely to take care of the children in the family. Furthermore, women care for the garden, make candles, soap and other necessities, care for the cattle, clean and spun wool for clothing, make medicines for the family, and a whole lot more. More importantly, women are wives and mothers, and as always repeated, the essence of being a woman is to be a mother. Despite all the danger that is upfront, their being women should be seen as an honour and a blessing to be able to carry and give life. Women, who have prepared their entire lives in preparing a better world for the next generation, and their health, therefore, should be given utmost importance because to protect them is simply to protect life and to protect the world.