Narendra Modi: Taking Decisive Steps Towards Securing Health of Future Generations This post outlines measures the Indian government has taken to ensure the health of infants and children, including efforts to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates, vaccinate children for Japanese Encephalitis, and address malnutrition through POSHAN Abhiyaan, which aims…

The Guardian: U.S. accused of trying to dilute global agreements on women’s rights “U.S. officials in New York are attempting to water down language and remove the word ‘gender’ from documents being negotiated at the U.N., in what is being seen as a threat to international agreements on women’s rights.…

Human Rights Watch: Safe Access to Abortion Crucial to Reducing Maternal Mortality in Kenya Agnes Odhiambo, senior researcher in the Women’s Rights Division at HRW, discusses Kenya’s “Beyond Zero” campaign to eradicate preventable maternal and child mortality in the country, highlighting criticism that the campaign does not address access to…

BBC News: Concerns over global resurgence of measles (3/14). Devex: WHO launches new guideline for community health workers (Roby, 3/14). The Guardian: ‘There is no tomorrow for me’: Rwanda’s teen mothers — in pictures (Allen-Story, 3/15). IRIN: Failed aid gambit deepens crisis for Venezuelans at closed Colombia border (Collins, 3/14).…

U.S. Department of State’s “DipNote”: Supporting Millions of Girls, One Dream at a Time In recognition of International Women’s Day, Deborah Birx, U.S. global AIDS coordinator and U.S. special representative for global health diplomacy, discusses the work of PEPFAR’s DREAMS Partnership, which aims to reduce new HIV infections in adolescent…

UNAIDS: On International Women’s Day, UNAIDS calls for greater action to protect young women and adolescent girls “On International Women’s Day, UNAIDS is urging countries to step up and protect young women and adolescent girls from HIV. … Much more needs to be done to reach young people with HIV…

Devex: Opinion: Business as usual won’t work for maternal and child health Helga Fogstad, executive director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health “…The widespread health inequality that disproportionately affects women, children, and adolescents in remote areas, communities affected by poverty, patriarchal cultures, and humanitarian settings screams loud…

Washington Post: The 11-year-old Argentine girl is not alone. Latin America’s abortion laws are a form of torture. Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International “…Latin America authorities have shown alarming negligence in failing to protect women and girls from gender-based violence. Instead of supporting survivors, they frequently revictimize them…

U.N. News: Break taboo around menstruation, act to end ‘disempowering’ discrimination, say U.N. experts “A group of seven United Nations rights experts issued a clarion call on Tuesday to break the taboo around menstrual health for women and girls that persists in many parts of the world and take concrete…

The Guardian: ‘Thousands’ of young girls denied abortion after rape in Argentina “The lives of thousands of girls in Argentina are being put at risk as legal abortions are delayed and obstructed by doctors trying to force pregnancies to full term. … According to the latest government figures, 2,493 live…