Dr. Groome is an epidemiologist and clinical researcher on vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, including rotavirus.
“South Africa is privileged to have several strong women in vaccine research, for example, Professor Helen Rees and Professor Glenda Gray. Both of them have made a significant contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa and are internationally known for their research.
I have ended up with three daughters – my eldest is now in second year studying medicine, second one in Grade 11 and thinking about software engineering, and then the little one. Grateful to have raised daughters who believe that they can be and do anything.”
Gender-Equitable Families and Health Systems are Better for Children
Gender-Equitable Families and Health Systems are Better for Children
Essential medicines, vaccines, hygiene, education, and adequate nutrition: these are the tools you might typically associate with child health.
But health interventions and behaviors are only as effective as the hands that deliver them.
Whether a child grows up healthy is largely dependent on the adults in their lives. Family members and healthcare workers play the leading role, and each is a part of cultures and systems that can help or hinder health.
Gender inequity is too often among the family and healthcare dynamics that have long-term health implications for children as they grow up:
- Within families, the physical, emotional, and financial health of women – mothers in particular – are inextricably linked to the health and well-being of children. Fathers, too, play a key role in whether a child has access to healthcare and opportunities.
- Achieving gender equity that facilitates health works best as a collective partnership between family members, communities, and health systems. It starts with putting the mother and child at the center and prioritize health at home and in the clinic – from support of breastfeeding to safe, hygienic, family-friendly primary healthcare access. Everybody plays a part.
View and share the resources below to join the conversation about how gender equity improves child health outcomes.
After Teresa's first son almost died of diarrhea, she was determined to do things differently with her second son, Vusi. She learned about vaccines and water, sanitation, and hygiene from the health clinic.
The burden almost always falls to girls to collect water, even if they need to miss school. And looking for a private place to relieve herself leaves her vulnerable to attack.
According to the World Bank, encourage girls to earn a living and they’ll invest 90% of their income back into their families, more than twice as much as men.
A child born to a literate mother is 50% less likely to die before the age of 5.
The What Women Want campaign asked 1.2 million women and girls from 114 countries what they want most in healthcare. The second-most popular demand? Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities.
Women represent an estimated 70% of the global healthcare workforce. A lack of WASH in healthcare facilities also impacts the health, safety, burden of work, and capacity of healthcare workers to provide adequate care.
#DefeatDD #PHC #HealthWorkersCount
No one should risk infection due to lack of toilets where they give birth and seek treatment. Because mothers giving birth and newborn babies are especially vulnerable to infection, the lack of WASH in healthcare facilities disproportionately affects women.
17 million women per year give birth in health centers where they and newborns are at risk of infection and death.
Breastfeeding could save an estimated 800,000 infants each year by preventing death and stunting from malnutrition. Moms need support from other moms, families, and workplaces to succeed in their breastfeeding journey.
Fathers who engage in their children’s health can alleviate burdens on women and complete a support system that allows a child to grow up healthier – including fewer bouts of diarrhea and other childhood illnesses.
Streamlined child health services saves caregivers valuable time. In Nepal, parents learn about hygiene during rotavirus immunization appointments.
Strong girls become strong women who raise strong children. Vaccines, nutrition, access to medicines, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene have impacts for generations to come.
One analysis concluded that eliminating maternal depression could reduce stunting globally by about 27 percent.
"Malnourished children often become malnourished parents and the vicious cycle is repeated. Now more than ever before, as the entire global community extends its survival focus to include to include thriving, we all need to work harder and closer together to ensure that every baby, every child, every woman and every man eats a well-balanced meal and is optimally nourished.” - Dr. Cyril Engmann, Director of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition, PATH
Malnourished girls who become malnourished mothers give birth to underweight boys and girls who are more vulnerable to infection. Instead, access to WASH and nutrition creates positive ripple effects.
“It’s been rewarding for me to see how child health can be improved after studying for several years the mechanisms of how the body responds to the infections and the difference in immune response between adults and children to defend against diarrheal disease and respiratory illnesses.”
Dr. Rubhana Raqib was selected as one of 35 new Fellows in the World Academy of Sciences, in recognition for her work in the category of ‘Medical and Health Sciences,’ in particular enteric and infectious diseases.
At the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Zaidi served as the director of the Vaccine Development and Surveillance program and the Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases program. Now she is first president of the newly created Gender Equality Division.
"Gender inequality holds back women and girls—that’s half the world’s population, and it’s indisputably unjust. It’s also the biggest barrier to progress in global health and development. I’ve seen this throughout my career, as a physician, as a researcher, and here at the foundation. The root cause of a lot of disease is poverty-related, and poverty is sexist. Without addressing gender inequality, progress on both health and development will be stunted."
On her heroes: “The real heroes are the mothers of the world who nurture and care for their children sometimes in the face of amazing adversity.”
On when she realized she wanted to work on rotavirus: “Backpacking through Africa and Asia, seeing first hand how hard life can be and seeing so many children suffer from preventable and treatable conditions.”
The role of female researchers in vaccine-preventable diseases, like diarrhea, is growing each year. Dr. Schael is an expert on rotavirus vaccines.
“The history of rotavirus vaccine is a tribute to scientific creation, risk-taking, and the disciplined work of many actors pursuing wellbeing and social justice for children.”
Dr. Iturriza-Gomara is a virologist, with expertise in enteric virus infections, virus evolution, and molecular tools for diagnosing, monitoring, and tracking infections
“I am full of admiration for the many health workers who work tirelessly to bring relief to millions of disadvantaged people living the poorest and most challenging regions of the world, and without whom interventions such as vaccination campaigns would just not be possible.”
Dr. Groome is an epidemiologist and clinical researcher on vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, including rotavirus.
“South Africa is privileged to have several strong women in vaccine research, for example, Professor Helen Rees and Professor Glenda Gray. Both of them have made a significant contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa and are internationally known for their research.
I have ended up with three daughters – my eldest is now in second year studying medicine, second one in Grade 11 and thinking about software engineering, and then the little one. Grateful to have raised daughters who believe that they can be and do anything.”
The role of female researchers in vaccine-preventable diseases, like diarrhea, is growing each year. Dr. Kang’s expertise is on on enteric infections in children, surveillance, and modes of transmission.
Dr. Neuzil is an epidemiologist, vaccine researcher, and health policy expert.
On her favorite memory in her fight against rotavirus: “I attended the rotavirus vaccine launch in Mali in 2014. I celebrated with colleagues, mothers, and government officials as the first infants in one of the poorest countries in the world received this lifesaving vaccine.”