
We stay on top of current research so you don’t have to. Check in for brief previews of new peer-reviewed studies, policy briefs, and grey literature.
PHOTO CREDIT: GERMÁN POO-CAAMAÑO.
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Sex Workers Face Heightened Risks during the COVID-19 Pandemic
›“The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified pre-existing inequalities and vulnerabilities,” writes the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in a recent report on the impact of COVID-19 on sex workers in East and Southern Africa. The pandemic has had an impact on people in marginalized communities around the world, but for sex workers globally, “the impact on livelihoods, human rights and health has been devastating, leaving many struggling to survive,” states the report.
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COVID-19 Costs: Declining Maternal and Child Nutrition in Low-and Middle-Income Countries
›“The pandemic and related global economic recession are severe setbacks to already insufficient progress towards meeting the global nutrition targets set for 2025 for stunting, wasting, maternal anemia and breastfeeding,” write the authors of a 2021 study examining the effects of COVID-19 on child and maternal health and nutrition. Adequate nutrition in the perinatal period is essential for healthy mothers and babies, and COVID-19-induced poverty and disruptions to global supply chains have compromised the food security of people around the world, mostly in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs).
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Has Maternal Mortality Risen During the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Need For More Data
›Since its onset, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mortality has been a question of great concern. And yet, few empirical attempts have been made to capture the potentially profound impact of the pandemic on maternal deaths, particularly in resource-limited settings.
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Navigating the Arctic’s 7Cs
›“It seems incumbent upon the Arctic policy community to identify the most pressing issues to address in the region while simultaneously, effectively and creatively communicating their complexities and interrelated nature,” writes Mike Sfraga, founding director of the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, in a new Wilson Center monograph, Navigating the Arctic’s 7Cs. Policy priorities in the Arctic boil down to climate, commodities, commerce, connectivity, communities, cooperation, and competition, writes Sfraga. The “7Cs” provides a framework that policymakers can use when engaging in Arctic affairs.
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16DaysCampaign Calls to End Femicide: Research Shows Women in Perinatal Period at Risk
›“Femicide is an important, but often unreported, cause of maternal mortality. This research documents the immediate need for universal abuse assessment of all pregnant women,” write the authors of the self-declared first study to report a definite link between abuse during pregnancy and attempted/completed femicide—the gender related killing of women. This study was published in 2002.
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New Wilson Quarterly Features Expert Insights on Climate Migration
›“Supporting the talents and potential of the refugees of today could lead to empowering the scientists, leaders, and innovators of the future. Instead of a lost generation, we have the opportunity to build a thriving generation full of promise,” says Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in the forward of the Fall Wilson Quarterly (WQ), “Humanity in Motion: Scenes from the Global Displacement Crisis.”
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COVID-19 Vaccine Has No Demonstrated Impact on Miscarriage Rates in the United States, Research Shows
›COVID-19 continues to pose a high risk to pregnant people who contract the virus. Despite this concern, hesitancy surrounding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy remains, write the authors of a preprint article on COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy outcomes. As COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, some have raised concerns regarding potential links between receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and experiencing miscarriage (also known as spontaneous abortion), and other adverse outcomes. However, miscarriage is a common occurrence – around 10 to 15 percent of all pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage – and multiple studies have found no increase in miscarriage in persons who received a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Most LGBTQ+ Individuals Remain in the “Global Closet”–At Great Cost to Global Health
›Pride month 2021 is underway, with parades, celebrations, and advocacy movements all over the world. Given the month’s celebratory nature—along with the increasing acceptance of and recent victories for LGBTQ+ * (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and others) communities in some countries—it might be easy to assume that most lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals are “out.” However, according to a study by the Yale School of Public Health, this is far from the case. The vast majority of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals remain in the closet, concealing their sexual orientation from “all or most” people in their lives.