Reproductive and sexual health rights: 15 years after the International Conference on Population and Development

Abstract

For the past 15 years the World Report on Womens Health has been published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (IJGO) every 3 years to mark the occasion of the FIGO World Congress. The topic of the 2006 World Report was promoting partnerships to improve access to womens reproductive and sexual health. It is fitting that following the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994 the 2009 World Report addresses reproductive and sexual health rights 15 years after this significant conference took place. Despite some of the progress made in achieving reproductive and sexual health rights in many countries many agenda items from the ICPD Programme of Action remain unfinished and these are now emphasized in the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 5 and 6. The WHO Reproductive Health Research division has indicated that the core elements for improvement include improving prenatal delivery post partum and newborn care; providing high-quality services for family planning including infertility services; eliminating unsafe abortion; combating sexually transmitted infections including HIV reproductive tract infections cervical cancer and other gynecological morbidities; and promoting sexual health. It identified 6 areas of action including strengthening the capacity of health systems improving the information base for priority settings mobilizing political will creating supportive legislation and regulatory frameworks and strengthening monitoring evaluation and accountability. The 2009 World Report provides the reader with a comprehensive and concise overview of what has been achieved in womens reproductive and sexual health rights since the ICPD unmet needs obstacles and the feasible actions in the countdown to 2015 as outlined in the ICPD Programme of Action and the health-related MDGs. The July 2008 Summit Declaration of the G8 countries called for reproductive health to be widely accessible for closer links between HIV/AIDS and family planning programs and strengthening of health systems. It is hoped that the latest global economic crisis will not negatively impact the commitments of rich countries to reproductive and sexual health programs in low-resource countries to reduce mortality and improve the quality-of-life of women and newborns around the world. (excerpt)