title: Using human rights to improve maternal and neonatal health: history, connections and a proposed practical approach.
abstract: We describe the historical development of how maternal and neonatal mortality in the developing world came to be seen as a public-health concern, a human rights concern, and ultimately as both, leading to the development of approaches using human rights concepts and methods to advance maternal and neonatal health. We describe the different contributions of the international community, women's health advocates and human rights activists. We briefly present a recent effort, developed by WHO with the Harvard Program on International Health and Human Rights, that applies a human rights framework to reinforce current efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
authors.affiliation: Program on International Health and Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gruskin
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cottingham
authors.forename: Adriane Martin
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hilber
authors.forename: Eszter
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kismodi
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lincetto
authors.forename: Mindy Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Roseman
mesh_terms: D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D019513:Feminism; D014943:Global Health; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000941:ethics* / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006806:Human Rights / Q000266:history; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007229:Infant Welfare / Q000941:ethics* / Q000266:history; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D038622:Internationality; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008429:Maternal Welfare / Q000941:ethics* / Q000266:history; D011247:Pregnancy; D011634:Public Health / Q000941:ethics* / Q000266:history; D014480:United Nations; D014944:World Health Organization
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