Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Obama's Global Health Initiative and Abortions in Nepal
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This article talks about Obama's Global Health Initiative (GHI) and why it has not been able to maximize its potential in Nepal. The main reason for this failure is the GHI's inability to fund abortions in Nepal due to a US government federal decree, since 1973, banning foreign aid to abortion services.
Having lived in the US for over 9 years, I can attest to the fact that "abortion" has always been a controversial topic in US politics. Presidents fear losing elections if they support abortion. Even liberal icons like Obama run their election campaign by avoiding the issue.
But, what the American people need to realize is the fact that the ground situation in Nepal is completely different from what it is in the US. So, comparing these two countries and trying to apply the same decree in Nepal is not going to help if the USAID is serious about serving the Nepalese populace.
Also, the US agencies and people have no right to push their religious beliefs into the Nepalese population seeking health benefits. The only reason why abortion is opposed in the US is because a large section of the US public's religious belief is that life starts at conception, and, therefore, aborting is like killing a human.
US agencies and US citizens should understand that abortion is legal in Nepal. If the USAID and the GHI is not providing support for it, it is not doing its job well. If abortion is legal in Nepal, then why can't they fund it? If the political pressure from back home is too much to handle for USAID and GHI, maybe they should halt the aid altogether. Pack your bags and leave. I have a philosophy: you either commit fully, or you don't. There's a saying in Nepali: the elephant passed through the hole, but his tail got stuck. This is a similar situation.
Here's a slice from the article explaining the differences in the US and Nepalese attitude towards abortion:
Some numbers from the article:
*Only 29 percent of married women in Nepal used a modern method of contraception in 1995
*that number jumped to 48 percent in 2006
*Nepal had a high maternal mortality ratio of 539 deaths per every 100,000 live births in 1995
* the ratio came down to 281 deaths per every 100,000 live births as of 2006
This article talks about Obama's Global Health Initiative (GHI) and why it has not been able to maximize its potential in Nepal. The main reason for this failure is the GHI's inability to fund abortions in Nepal due to a US government federal decree, since 1973, banning foreign aid to abortion services.
Having lived in the US for over 9 years, I can attest to the fact that "abortion" has always been a controversial topic in US politics. Presidents fear losing elections if they support abortion. Even liberal icons like Obama run their election campaign by avoiding the issue.
But, what the American people need to realize is the fact that the ground situation in Nepal is completely different from what it is in the US. So, comparing these two countries and trying to apply the same decree in Nepal is not going to help if the USAID is serious about serving the Nepalese populace.
Also, the US agencies and people have no right to push their religious beliefs into the Nepalese population seeking health benefits. The only reason why abortion is opposed in the US is because a large section of the US public's religious belief is that life starts at conception, and, therefore, aborting is like killing a human.
US agencies and US citizens should understand that abortion is legal in Nepal. If the USAID and the GHI is not providing support for it, it is not doing its job well. If abortion is legal in Nepal, then why can't they fund it? If the political pressure from back home is too much to handle for USAID and GHI, maybe they should halt the aid altogether. Pack your bags and leave. I have a philosophy: you either commit fully, or you don't. There's a saying in Nepali: the elephant passed through the hole, but his tail got stuck. This is a similar situation.
Here's a slice from the article explaining the differences in the US and Nepalese attitude towards abortion:
Unlike in the United States, abortion is not a political issue here. To these young women, they said it’s simply a decision they’re making regarding their bodies and families. When GlobalPost asked the doctor present if the clinic ever faced protests, pickets or people handing out anti-abortion pamphlets, she laughed at the questions.
Some numbers from the article:
*Only 29 percent of married women in Nepal used a modern method of contraception in 1995
*that number jumped to 48 percent in 2006
*Nepal had a high maternal mortality ratio of 539 deaths per every 100,000 live births in 1995
* the ratio came down to 281 deaths per every 100,000 live births as of 2006
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