Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards has fought her fair share of battles to protect the health services organization’s work around the world. Now she’s fighting for the opportunity to tackle a global threat: Zika.
Richards stopped by the Devex studio after meetings on Capitol Hill where she pressed the U.S. Congress to fund an adequate response to this growing health emergency.
“This is a reproductive health issue,” Richards told Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar, in response to some lawmakers’ efforts to prevent any Zika funding from flowing to Planned Parenthood.
Richards also spoke about the growing impact mobile technology is having on Planned Parenthood’s efforts to connect people with better information and access to care. In Nigeria and Ecuador the organization has partnered with the United Nations Population Fund to link a mobile-connected population with health services in their countries.
Planned Parenthood funds programs in over a dozen countries in Africa and Latin America to deliver health services and support health advocacy efforts.
“Once you offer up services or information or opportunity for folks to connect through their cellular phone, they do,” Richards said.
For more Devex coverage on global health, visit Focus On: Global Health.
About the author
Julie Espinosa
Julie Espinosa is the Associate Director of Creative at Devex. She leads a team of visual storytellers who work with reporters all over the globe to cover the topics of humanitarian aid, sustainable development and global health. Prior to joining Devex, Julie worked in documentary film production in Austin, Texas. She holds a master’s degree in communications and cultural studies from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s in visual arts from Harvard University.
