Women’s contribution to health underrecognized, undervalued
June 11, 2015 — Fact: Around the world, more and more women are struggling with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Fact: Around the world, women who provide health care are routinely underpaid, undervalued, or not…
Women’s contribution to health care nearly 5% of global GDP
A groundbreaking new report on women and health has found that women are contributing roughly $3 trillion to global health care, but that nearly half of this work—2.35% of global GDP—is unpaid and unrecognized. The June 5, 2015…
Maternal health better basis for baby growth standards
According to a growing body of evidence by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers and others, charts measuring babies’ healthy development are more effective as a diagnostic tool if they are based on the health of mothers,…
Boosting comprehensive women’s health care in Sub-Saharan Africa
December 1, 2014 -- To stem the spread of HIV among women in Sub-Saharan Africa and to boost their overall health and the health of their families, it’s crucial to improve not just HIV care but also reproductive…
Growth, size of babies worldwide remarkably similar
July 29, 2014 -- Ana Langer, director of the Women and Health Initiative and Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) at Harvard School of Public Health, says that new findings from an international study on fetal growth and birth length…
Women Deliver
Video interview with HSPH's Ana Langer, May 17, 2013, The Lancet
Maternal health advocates push for new global goals
March 5, 2013 -- Throughout history, more women have died in childbirth than men have died in battle, Mahmoud Fathalla, founder of the Safe Motherhood Initiative, told attendees at the recent Global Maternal Health Conference in Arusha, Tanzania,…
Alumni weekend 2012
October 4, 2012 -- View a slideshow of more photos from the weekend. Cold, rainy weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the roughly 200 Harvard School of Public Health alumni, students, and guests gathered at the School on September…
Abortion legal in Mexico City, but restrictions remain in rest of nation and many Latin American countries
In 2008, Mexico City—which, like Washington, D.C., is a federal district that is not part of any state—legalized abortion. But the states in Mexico, a strongly Catholic country, did not follow suit. In fact, after abortion became legal…
Preventing young mothers from dying—and the ripple effects when they do
[ Spring/Summer 2012 ] When a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth in sub-Saharan Africa, the impact on the child or children left behind—and on the larger family—can be devastating. Studies suggest that children’s risk of dying before age 10…