Cervical cancer affects 570,000 women a year and kills 311,000. Nine in 10 (88 percent) of the deaths occur in developing countries. This cancer is caused by a common sexually transmitted infection, human papilloma virus (HPV), but is also considered a non-communicable disease (NCD) because of the slower way it presents. Yet, the disease is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers, and cost-effective solutions exist to prevent the disease. Given strong overlaps between HIV and reproductive health, we can and should do more to stop cervical cancer.

One-third of all maternal deaths can be traced to high blood pressure in pregnancy and in the weeks after giving birth. Yet many women don’t know how dangerous high blood pressure can be. And they may not realize they are at risk for many life-threatening conditions such as pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Because high blood pressure can be asymptomatic, women with hypertension may not feel unwell or even know that their health is compromised.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a non-communicable disease that affects maternal health. MS is an unpredictable chronic disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. The progress of this disease, its severity, and specific symptoms cannot yet be predicted and varies by individual. Symptoms may disappear or diminish completely, or they may persist and worsen over time. Typical symptoms include fatigue, numbness and tingling, blurred vision, imbalance, pain, and problems with memory and concentration.

Every day there are more than 800 maternal deaths worldwide. Who are these women? They are reproductive women across the globe. They are our sisters, aunts, friends, and co-workers. They are leaders in our community, family members, and caregivers. When assessing the state of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States, one must consider not only what we know, but also what must change.

What is inherent in the word “universal,” is that it is for all women, said Anneka Knutsson, Chief of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), at a recent Wilson Center event on the importance of midwives in achieving universal health coverage.

We are in the decade of action, said Anneka Knutsson, Chief of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), at a recent Wilson Center event on midwives’ crucial role in achieving universal health coverage by 2030. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife to celebrate the accomplishments and importance of nurses and midwives in providing not just maternal health care, but care across the lifespan. Currently, 22 million nurses and 2 million midwives globally deliver 80 percent of all healthcare services in low-resource settings. However, the world will need 9 million more nurses and midwives by 2030 to meet rising healthcare demands.