This archive report was first published on 11 November 2019.
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), global leaders, policymakers, and influencers are gathering in Nairobi to reaffirm their commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Established in 1994, the ICPD set an ambitious programme of action to achieve comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for all. However, ideologically driven forces are seeking to roll back hard-won gains, slash funding for essential services, and remove references to these services and rights from international agreements.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, and Founder of the Graça Machel Trust Graça Machel are among those calling for a renewed commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
They argue that sexual and reproductive health are matters of fundamental human rights, critical for women's, children's, and adolescents' health. At a time when there is growing political momentum in countries to provide affordable, quality health for all – universal health coverage – they must ensure that the full panoply of sexual and reproductive health interventions are included in national health plans, with the financial resources to back them up.
According to the 2018 Guttmacher-Lancet Commission, the cost of meeting all women's needs for contraceptive, maternal, and newborn care in low- and middle-income countries amounts to US$13.0 per capita annually. This is a cost that the world can and must afford.
As current and past leaders of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, they call on other leaders to unite their voices behind fully financed health plans to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. The bright future of girls and women in every corner of the globe depends on our collective action.
