Women’s Health and Well-Being for Nation Wellbeing
Although health is a fundamental human right, it is still denied to many throughout the world for various reasons including socio-economic, demographic and biologic factors. Women and their children are the ones who are majorly affected by such inequalities. In many parts of the world this is compounded with armed conflicts where women and their children suffer from substantial morbidity and mortality (1). Armed conflict and violence have serious direct and indirect health consequences on civilians, the majority of whom are women and children (1, 2). Along with reproductive health complications; displacement, gender-based violence and discrimination are widespread on women in conflict areas. This is even worse on women living in low- and middle-income countries where these factors affect their health and well-being since childhood. Women and their children suffer from huge morbidity and mortality as a result of ever-increasing armed conflicts in many parts of the developing world.Despite the ongoing efforts in improving women’s health and wellbeing in Ethiopia, the inequality continued with the increasing armed conflicts in many parts of the country. Women and their children are the ones who are suffering the consequences of armed conflicts. Many women and children lost their lives due to direct impact of the conflicts; and those who survived do not get basic health services since the health facilities are either extensively damaged, looted or lacks medical supply. Availability of maternal health care, including emergency obstetric care to address life-threatening pregnancy complications has been critically compromised. Besides that, comprehensive services including psychosocial support for survivors of gender-based violence have been battered. Essential services such as basic health care, including reproductive health care and counseling, are often disrupted or become inaccessible during conflict situations. This exacerbates health risks for all affected populations, at times when public health needs soar.Reducing the frequency and intensity of armed conflicts is an explicit goal and a common theme of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (3). The destructiveness of armed conflict presents setbacks to the development and flourishing of human societies (4) especially to women’s health and well-being. We must not allow many more women and their children to suffer. Taking “healthy woman makes a healthy family” as a guiding principle, all actors must devise a strategy that help to ensure women’s health and wellbeing at all conditions. For the well-being of these great majority of the population (family heads, mothers), inflictors and perpetuators of armed conflicts are begged to reconsider their measures.