Bridging Ideologies: Maternal Health As a Human Rights Dilemma (World IN REVIEW‪)‬

The year 2010 leaves the world with just five years before the targeted achievement of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. Though time will tell if ongoing efforts prove sufficient, the goals of fighting disease, eradicating poverty and hunger, and pushing for environmental sustainability, at least, seem to be on track for success. Reducing gender-skewed death rates is another story. According to 2010's Millennium Development Goals Report, of the eight goals under discussion, the fifth--that of decreasing the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters and achieving universal access to reproductive health--appears furthest from being accomplished. The steadily high rates of both maternal and child mortality are thoroughly preventable. Yet the struggle for maternal and reproductive health has been impeded by ideologically driven controversy and persisting gender inequality. Barriers in funding, due to the controversial attitude toward family planning on the global stage, continue to perpetuate a problem that could be solved with sufficient provision of medical care and supplies to women. They represent not simply a point of ideological difference but also a world health crisis and a human rights issue of enormous proportions. Worldwide prevalence of unlawful and unsafe abortions causes huge numbers of maternal deaths. Low use of modern contraceptive methods leads to further unintended pregnancies and health complications for both women and children, often resulting in families too large to support. Until the world directly confronts these problems, both women and children will continue to die. If world leaders are serious about reaching the Millennium Development Goals targeting maternal and child mortality by the 2015 deadline, it is time to set ideology aside and begin focusing on tangible efforts to increase access to medical attention and reproductive rights worldwide.