UN focus on abortion ignores deadly and preventable diseases
January 10, 2013
A new study published in The Lancet shows that common diseases such as diarrhea cause millions of needless deaths worldwide each year, while UN health officials devote more attention to less urgent issues such as access to abortion.
The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study found that 1.4 million people died that year from diarrhea, with the disease proving especially deadly among children. Although medications to remedy diarrhea are readily available on the world markets, hundreds of thousands of people—mostly in undeveloped country—died from the disease.
By contrast, the study found that 37,100 deaths were attributable to complications from abortion. Although that death total was only 2.65% of the figure for diarrhea, UN efforts to promote access to abortion frequently took precedence.
The Global Burden of Disease Study also found that while drugs have proven effectively in arresting the development of AIDS, the overall fight against AIDS remains jeopardized by risky sexual behaviors. Only 5% of the funds allocating to AIDS prevention has been devoted to efforts to change behaviors.
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