Hi Everyone!
Happy World Health Day! Right now, we are still going through the pandemic of the Coronavirus, but it is also World Health Day, one day a year to raise awareness/to highlight a concern of the World Health Organization (WHO). Every year World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 and this year’s theme is giving people access to healthcare without the prospect of financial hardship. The WHO asserts, following numerous studies, that “countries which invest in universal healthcare will make a sound investment in their human capital; indeed, access to a very bottom line of care and financial protection will not only truly improve someone’s health and life expectancy, but also protects countries from epidemics, reduces poverty and the risk of hunger, creates jobs, drives economic growth and enhances gender equality.” This is a very important topic and ties in with my research about childbirth around the world.
When researching for my book, I learned about birth tourism. It is a common practice for pregnant mothers to travel to foreign countries to give birth to lower the costs associated with childbirth. Sometimes it is also for citizenship, but mostly, it is to reduce healthcare costs. This tradition is especially common for pregnant women from Asia. Expectant mothers move to Canada at seven or eight months, so that they will give birth in Canada and not have to pay medical fees. After the birth, they fly back home.