We live in a world marred by healthcare disparities. Pregnancy-related deaths and disabilities remain unacceptably high. Nearly 800 women die each day due to preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and scores more suffer from lasting disabilities. Shockingly, 90% of these preventable deaths occur in low-resource settings.

This article is adapted from “Population Trends and the Future of US Competitiveness”

Demographic issues intersect with a number of policy priorities on the congressional agenda, including the economy, immigration, health care and foreign policy, but how population trends influence policy outcomes is often overlooked or misunderstood. In a new report, we explore how population dynamics have changed dramatically over the last few decades, and what these changes mean for the economic and security interests of the United States.

The last two decades saw significant gains in reducing the incidence of malaria, but can we be doing even more to eradicate this disease? In early January 2024, a New York Times op-ed argued that millions were dying needlessly as tools to defeat malaria were within reach.

We face a global crisis of maternal mortality that extends to untenable disparities within the United States. Yet too often, the populations most affected by such health disparities are sidelined in the creation of solutions to address them.

Throughout history, women have played crucial leadership roles during wartime, even if their contributions were not always well-documented or recognized. In times of conflict, societal norms sometimes shift, allowing women to step into positions of authority that might have been traditionally reserved for men. Despite indisputable evidence of women’s leadership and bravery during conflict, however, women continue to be construed as “victims” and “passive actors”—rather than the political agents, leaders, soldiers, and visionaries that they are.

The Dot-Mom column of the Environmental Change and Security Program’s New Security Beat blog serves as a platform to shed light on diverse perspectives and insights from experts in maternal and reproductive health, gender equity, and peace and security. In 2023, the Dot-Mom column was marked by an incredible number of guest contributor articles.