A nurse practitioner gives a pregnant patient information about mosquito protection on August 2, 2016, in Miami. Source: AP/Lynne Sladky
Washington, D.C. —(ENEWSPF)–August 11, 2016. Last month, the U.S. Congress adjourned for summer recess without approving President Barack Obama’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency supplemental funds to address the Zika virus. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, as of July 29, more than 6,400 people have been diagnosed with Zika in the United States and U.S. territories.
As lawmakers play political games and stall on addressing an urgent crisis, a new column by the Center for American Progress looks at how government inaction reaches far beyond the Zika virus, negatively impacting many other aspects of women’s health and access to reproductive justice.
“Congress’ current political gridlock has very real and harmful implications for the lives of women, their families, and their communities, particularly low-income women and women of color,” said Lauren Kokum, Special Assistant for the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at CAP and author of the column. “When legislators return to Washington, D.C., in September, they should reject partisanship and work to advance measures that secure access to comprehensive reproductive health care for all women.”
In order for women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families, they need unfettered access to health care that is free from political interference. Comprehensive justice ensures that all women—not just the wealthy few—have the political, social, and spiritual resources to live a full and healthy life.
In addition to the column, CAP also released a video today in which faith leaders from around the country discuss the role of faith in the reproductive justice movement.
Read the column: How Government Inaction Thwarts Equal Access to Care by Lauren Kokum.
Watch the video: Faith Voices for Reproductive Justice: Advancing Equality for All by Claire Markham, Lauren Kokum, and Kulsum Ebrahim
Source: http://www.americanprogress.org
