The novel coronavirus disease COVID-19, caused by infection with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a global public health emergency. At the time of writing, more than 115 million people have been infected and the disease has caused close to 2.6 million deaths worldwide.1

Although the absolute risk of severe COVID-19 in pregnancy remains low, it is now established that pregnant women are at increased risk of severe COVID-19-associated illness compared with non-pregnant women.^1,2,3,4 Such illness can require hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation and even cause death. Thus, preventing critical COVID-19 infection is of paramount importance for both the mother and her fetus.

In a correspondence that was published in the Lancet, Dashraath et al.¹ advocate to include pregnant women in the phase 3 trial protocols of adenovirus-vectored and protein-based vaccines for COVID-19.

Background

Equity—refers to fair opportunity for everyone to attain their full potential, regardless of demographic, social, economic or geographic strata. Health equity for refugee women refers to their rights to access and make use of essential services, including SRH services. 

(Reviewed and approved by the FIGO Executive Board, September 2005, and adopted by the FIGO General Assembly on 7 November 2006)

Background

Professionally responsible decision making with patients is based primarily on the ethical principles of beneficence and respect for autonomy.