An Update on Global Women's Health

Abstract

In 2000 at the Millennium Summit, participants in the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration and committed their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty. This commitment was articulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), time-bound and quantified targets to address extreme poverty in many dimensions, including income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion. The goals also addressed gender equality, education, environmental sustainability, and the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security ( Millennium Project, 2006 Millennium ProjectMillennium Development Goals: What they are. 2006http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals/ Google Scholar ). The target end date of the MDGs was 2015, and although significant progress has been made on many levels, some of the MDGs were not met. As a result, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a new target date of 2030 were established to build on previous efforts and success:We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. We are committed to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions—economic, social and environmental—in a balanced and integrated manner. We will also build upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seek to address their unfinished business. ( United Nations Population Fund, 2015 United Nations Population Fund Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. 2015http://www.unfpa.org/resources/transforming-our-world-2030-agenda-sustainable-development Google Scholar , para. 2) Susan Mattson, RNC-E, CTN-A, PhD, FAAN, is a professor emerita, College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ. Empowering the Girl Child, Improving Global HealthJournal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal NursingVol. 46Issue 3PreviewThe health and productivity of a global society is dependent upon the elimination of gender inequities that prevent girls from achieving their full potential. Although some progress has been made in reducing social, economic, and health disparities between men and women, gender equality continues to be an elusive goal. The Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030) include intergovernmental aspirations to empower women and stress that change must begin with the girl child. Full-Text PDF Sustainable Development Goals and the Ongoing Process of Reducing Maternal MortalityJournal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal NursingVol. 46Issue 3PreviewInnovative programs introduced in response to the Millennium Development Goals show promise to reduce the global rate of maternal mortality. The Sustainable Development Goals, introduced in 2015, were designed to build on this progress. In this article, we describe the global factors that contribute to maternal mortality rates, outcomes of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, and the new, related Sustainable Development Goals. Implications for clinical practice, health care systems, research, and health policy are provided. Full-Text PDF An Update on the United Nations Millennium Development GoalsJournal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal NursingVol. 46Issue 3PreviewThe United Nations Millennium Development Goals initiative, designed to meet the needs of the world's poorest, ended in 2015. The purpose of this article is to describe the progress made through the Millennium Development Goals and the additional work needed to address vulnerable populations worldwide, especially women and children. A description of the subsequent Sustainable Development Goals, enacted to address the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development for all people, is provided. Full-Text PDF