Thirty years ago, maternal mortality rates were made up of very rough estimates.
Today, data and technology allow us to more accurately measure women's access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, including reductions in maternal mortality, uptake of contraception, and progress toward gender equality. We can now measure success better than ever before.
Many initiatives over the last 30 years have contributed to these advancements. The former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call for a \"data revolution\" to equip countries with data systems to track and achieve Sustainable Development Goals has encouraged countries to invest in better data collection, analysis, and measurement tools. While the increasingly available data shines a spotlight on progress, it also exposes the gaps that remain, including access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights.
Consider Amina, a 28-year-old woman living in a remote village in Southeast Asia. Pregnant with her third child, she faced a long journey to the nearest clinic. In her village, there were no skilled birth attendants, and emergency obstetric care was a distant hope.
Unfortunately, Amina's story is not unique. I have met women with similar stories across countries in Asia and in the Pacific, and I have seen first-hand that these inequalities in access are widening not only between countries but also within countries.
Health systems are plagued by gender inequality and biases based on displacement and ethnic discrimination. Consequently, indigenous women like Amina are less likely to receive antenatal care, are more likely to give birth as teenagers, and much more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.
This raises the question: Are we collecting the data we need to truly accelerate progress? Who is still going uncounted and unaccounted for?
Data is not just about numbers; it's the story of people's lives. It provides insights into the health and well-being of individuals. Quality data collection and analysis help us identify service gaps, understand access barriers, and develop targeted interventions for those often left behind, including women, girls, indigenous populations, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and older persons.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
