Repro Health in Review: 11 Highlights of 2011

We saw a number of significant moments in global reproductive health during 2011 -- from historic court rulings to scientific breakthroughs to the launch of a new UN agency dedicated to women's equality and empowerment. Check out our digital timeline of 2011 highlights! Or scroll down for a complete list.

Repro Health in Review: 11 Highlights of 2011 on Dipity.

October 31: The world’s 7 billionth baby joins the global community.

October 4: A study published in Lancet Infectious Diseases (October issue) suggests a possible link between hormonal contraceptives and HIV.

August 10: The UN CEDAW issues an historic ruling that governments have a human rights obligation to guarantee access to maternal health services.

August 1:  The Obama Administration issues new standards requiring health insurance plans to cover women's contraceptives without co-payments.

July 6: In a 2-1 decision, a New York appeals court ruled that the “anti-prostitution pledge” violates the First Amendment by forcing funding recipients to take on the government’s viewpoint as if it were their own.

May 17: The World Health Organization expands its list of essential medicines to include misoprostol, a lifesaving drug that prevents postpartum hemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal death.

May 12: A study by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reveals that early treatment for HIV patients can significantly reduce chances of transmission.

April 15: The U.S. Congress passes the FY2011 Continuing Resolution, ending a budgetary impasse that sparked a nationwide debate about women’s reproductive health and rights.

March 3: Two Ugandan families take maternal health rights into their own hands by bringing a lawsuit against their government for the needless deaths of two mothers in a North Uganda clinic.

February 1: A 2010 Demographic Health Survey in Bangladesh reveals a significant 40% decline in maternal mortality in less than a decade. Learn about EngenderHealth’s role in improving maternal health in Bangladesh.

February 24: Secretary General launches UN Women, signifying a historic step to marshal resources and mandates for greater impact in gender equality and women’s empowerment.

January 6: 600 UK women reported unwanted pregnancies while using the Implanon contraceptive implant, creating a pregnancy scare among clients. Read our commentary on the role of training for implants.

Capturing the Count: A Round Up of Global Voices on 7 Billion

In the weeks leading up to the 7 billion milestone, we’ve seen the global population issue captured in so many ways across the multimedia landscape—through videos, web sites, photo essays, social media, and of course, the good old op-ed. Below is a collection of some of the most interesting “7 billion” projects that reflect the diversity, not only of these views, but of our growing world.

7 billion … in pictures:

• Photo essays from The Atlantic, Boston Globe, National Geographic, and the Washington Post.

• In a colorful two-and-half-minute video, NPR tells the story of how we got “so big, so fast.”

7 billion … in soundbytes:

• A podcast featuring Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, on family planning and the 7 billion milestone (published by the UK’s Department for International Development).

• An NPR segment about the most densely populated place in India.

7 billion … on the web:

• The National Geographic magazine is culminating a special year-long series on population, including an article, photo gallery, video, and game.

• What’s your number? Population Action International and the BBC have launched online campaigns showing you where you fit among the world’s 7 billion, using just your birthday.

• USAID Global Health’s “World at 7 Billion” project demonstrates how a single person in a world of 7 billion can make a difference in his or her community. (Features a story on our very own Esther Nyokabi of Kenya!)

• UNFPA’s 7 Billion Actions campaign shares stories and films on how individuals and organizations around the world are bringing about positive change.

7 billion … in social media:

• Check out the conversation on #7billion in Twittersphere as well as EngenderHealth’s #CountTo7B project on key population factoids and statistics.

7 billion … in writing:

• In an Oct. 21 essay on CNN.com, Jeffrey Sachs says technology and stabilization of the population are the answers to this question: How can we enjoy “sustainable development” on a very crowded planet?

• Helen Epstein discusses the role of religion in contraceptive use for Ghanaian communities in her Oct. 22 New York Times article, Talking Their Way Out of a Population Crisis.

• On Oct. 24, the Guardian UK underscores the role of education in increasing opportunities for women and girls and, ultimately, slowing population growth in places like Tanzania.
  
• Bloomberg offered its own round up of the voices on 7 billion in an Oct. 31 article.