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Globalization and Health
Published in: Globalization and Health 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Zika Virus | Debate

Zika, abortion and health emergencies: a review of contemporary debates

Authors: Clare Wenham, Amaral Arevalo, Ernestina Coast, Sonia Corrêa, Katherine Cuellar, Tiziana Leone, Sandra Valongueiro

Published in: Globalization and Health | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

The Zika outbreak provides pertinent case study for considering the impact of health emergencies on abortion decision-making and/or for positioning abortion in global health security debates.

Main body

This paper provides a baseline of contemporary debates taking place in the intersection of two key health policy areas, and seeks to understand how health emergency preparedness frameworks and the broader global health security infrastructure is prepared to respond to future crises which implicate sexual and reproductive rights. Our paper suggests there are three key themes that emerge from the literature; 1) the lack of consideration of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in outbreak response 2) structural inequalities permeate the landscape of health emergencies, epitomised by Zika, and 3) the need for rights based approaches to health.

Conclusion

Global health security planning and response should specifically include programmatic activity for SRH provision during health emergencies.
Footnotes
1
An unsafe abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by people lacking the necessary skills, or in an environment lacking minimal medical standards, or both.
 
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Metadata
Title
Zika, abortion and health emergencies: a review of contemporary debates
Authors
Clare Wenham
Amaral Arevalo
Ernestina Coast
Sonia Corrêa
Katherine Cuellar
Tiziana Leone
Sandra Valongueiro
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
Zika Virus
Published in
Globalization and Health / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1744-8603
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-019-0489-3

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