In April, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, global leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. This commitment aligns with the principles of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and promoting reproductive rights.
Progress and Challenges
Over the past thirty years, significant strides have been made. The number of women using modern contraception has doubled since 1990. Maternal mortality has decreased by 34 percent since 2000. By 2022, HIV treatment had prevented an estimated 20.8 million deaths worldwide. However, recent years have seen this progress stall and even reverse in some cases. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, rising conflicts, climate change, increasing inequalities, and deepening polarization are jeopardizing access to essential health services. These challenges necessitate immediate action.
Impact on Women and Girls
Women and girls are disproportionately affected, hindering their ability to make informed decisions and exercise bodily autonomy free from coercion, violence, or discrimination. Many, especially marginalized women, adolescent girls, and those in humanitarian crises, still lack access to vital sexual and reproductive health interventions and information. More than half of women of reproductive age cannot make their own informed decisions about pregnancy, and many lack the autonomy to fully exercise their reproductive rights.
Call to Action
On World Population Day, UN agencies call on the global community, including governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector, to enhance access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services as part of universal health coverage. These services should be delivered through resilient health systems, particularly at the primary healthcare level. It is crucial to implement evidence-based, normative guidance to ensure affordable, high-quality, rights-based care. Efforts must also focus on eliminating stigma, discrimination, and harmful social and gender norms.
Accelerated access to comprehensive sexuality education and strengthened actions across social sectors like education and gender are needed to improve the health and well-being of girls and women. Investing in women’s and girls’ reproductive rights and expanding access to services yields significant returns in social wellbeing, economic prosperity, and peace. Additional financing from domestic, international, public, and private sources is essential for long-term positive outcomes for women and girls.
Community and Technology
Supporting the efforts of young people, women, and communities to voice sexual and reproductive health concerns and develop solutions is crucial. An inclusive, bottom-up approach to designing and delivering health interventions can achieve more sustainable results and reach the most marginalized. Collaboration between the public and private sectors to explore technologies like telemedicine, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and predictive modeling can bridge gaps and expand access to essential services, especially in remote areas. However, innovators must address risks such as gender gaps in access, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and biases in tech design.
A Unified Effort
Governments, communities, civil society, and the private sector must unite to prioritize universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health, promoting gender equality and the full realization of human rights. This collaboration is vital as we approach the United Nations General Assembly Summit of the Future in September. The call is for bold and decisive action to create a just, equitable, and sustainable world for all.
A Legacy of Commitment
Thirty years ago, 179 governments in Cairo adopted a framework recognizing sexual and reproductive health, reproductive rights, and the empowerment of women and girls as foundational pillars of sustainable development. As UN agencies, we remain dedicated to advancing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights, essential for achieving the highest standard of physical and mental health and gender equality.
