Global Health Ethics: The Case of Maternal and Neonatal Survival

Frank W. J. Anderson*, Timothy R. B. Johnson, Raymond de Vries

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Through their Sustainable Development Goals the United Nations recognizes the moral significance of health, stating that the elimination of maternal and early neonatal mortality are health outcomes that should be available to all women in the world. Complete prevention requires addition of a skill set for maternal care teams that is a magnitude greater than what we have today. As universities, individuals, institutions and NGO's engage in initiatives to end preventable maternal and neonatal mortality, an expanded context of ethical imperatives becomes increasingly important. Besides the traditional principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and social justice, imbalances between high and low income countries and cultural relativity give rise to broader ethical imperatives: mutual respect, trust, open communication, accountability, transparency, leadership capacity building and sustainability. The elimination of disparities in other women's issues, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, chronic non-infectious diseases, can all be more effectively addressed through a lens of ethical global health engagement. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)125-135
Number of pages11
JournalBest Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Volume43
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2017

Keywords

  • Global Health Ethics
  • maternal mortality
  • neonatal mortality
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • capacity building
  • academic partnerships
  • WOMENS HEALTH
  • GHANA
  • PARTNERSHIPS
  • GYNECOLOGY
  • OBSTETRICS
  • RETENTION
  • MORTALITY
  • CARE

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