Abt Supports Reproductive Health & Equity
Statement by Abt Associates President and CEO, Kathleen Flanagan on the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion Americans have had for over 50 years. As leaders in global health, we are committed to expanding access to high-quality healthcare, which includes promoting informed choices that respect bodily autonomy. We know this decision undermines progress towards gender and racial equity; it’s a decision that affects everyone.
Abt is a data driven company whose mission is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. For 57 years, we have worked to close the gaps in health equity in the U.S. and around the world. That has always meant supporting the policies and systems that protect and expand access to safe, affordable, high-quality reproductive health care. The court’s decision today is both inequitable—deciding what a person’s options are without allowing them access to the full range of healthy choices—and contradicts what the data tells us is needed to ensure healthy, thriving families.
We know that, around the globe, family planning programs targeting unintended pregnancy can prevent 32 percent of maternal deaths and nearly 10 percent of childhood deaths. Yet significant barriers—from cultural norms and social taboos, to limited access to services and information—persist for millions of women and girls. The result: more than 80 million unintended pregnancies and 2.7 million neonatal deaths annually.
These data are widely available—as are data captured in polls showing a majority of Americans believe in the right to plan and make decisions about their bodies, the same right we support in countries around the globe, from India to Jordan to Nigeria.
Our mission and our values apply not only to our clients and the communities we work alongside, but also to how we show up for and support one another. The Abt community has staff in many states who will experience the negative impacts of overturning Roe v. Wade. We remain committed to developing data and implementing policies that support our mission to keep families—including women—safe and healthy, and that commitment extends to supporting our employees and clients around the world as they make decisions to ensure they and their families are safe and healthy.
About Abt Associates
Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that combines data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. We partner with clients and communities to advance equity and innovation—from creating scalable digital solutions and combatting infectious disease, to mitigating climate change and evaluating programs for measurable social impact. https://www.abtassociates.com
