Global Effort on Sexual and Reproductive Health: If We Must Get It Right!

From the recent trending news on the attempt by the United States (US) to remove the phrase “sexual and reproductive health” in United Nations (UN) meeting, spring 2019 to the Justin Trudeau commitment to boost funding for child, maternal, reproductive health and legal abortion to 1.4 billion annually until 2023 are clear signs on the global relevance of sexual and reproductive health concerns. Oh Yes! It is of global relevance with conflicting opinions across the globe. It is a problem that is marred by opinions, culture, religion and individuality. Every country has her own share of this trouble. While it is better in some countries, it is worse in others. This challenge is worse than that of infectious diseases! The more money you put into it the lesser the challenges but not without strict policies.

Over the years, my experience has shown that sexual and reproduction health is at the center of multiple human right, including the right to life; right to be free from torture; the right to health; the right to education; the avoidance of discriminations, violence and war; all of which must be properly synchronized within any polity for the battle on sexual and reproductive health problem to be won. It is not difficult to know when a country is getting it right in this regard. There are clear measurable indicators. For example, maternal mortality rate, contraceptive prevalence, teenage pregnancy rate and the incidence rate of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual violence.

At the UN general assembly in 2015, member states held a global summit to consider and adopt a global development agenda for the next 15 years and titled, 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a renewed opportunity for countries to achieve their sexual and reproductive health goals, and for advocates to hold governments to account for sexual and reproductive health and rights within this framework. Achieving this will require a measurable action plan that is specifically directed towards this goal. For example, people must be allowed to make decision on their sexual and reproductive health; ensure that human right that are particularly intertwined with sexual and reproductive health are respected; establish and strengthen formal and informal education on sexuality, particularly at the grassroot using measure that would directly impact those that are affected and creating less of intermediaries; provision of platforms that encourages people to make informed decision on their sexuality and reproductive health, ensuring inclusivity and diversity; provision of support to victims of sexual violence and perpetrators while preventing the same; reducing unmet need for contraception; elimination of paternal and maternal mortality that are mostly avoidable, for example provision of healthcare facilities and trained personnel in communities; prevent, diagnose and treat infertility and sexually transmitted diseases; establish and strengthen access to reproductive health services to population group of need, particularly the adolescents.

There has been a unique challenge to overcoming sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa among the adolescent. As children enter adolescence and as many of them begins to explore their sexuality, access to sexual and reproductive health information and services becomes critical to their enjoyment of human rights, health and wellbeing. Within most countries, a large proportion of the population are adolescents, yet their sexual and reproductive health needs and rights are mostly neglected and are widely discriminated against, particularly by placing age restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health services either directly or indirectly and those arising from social norms that prevents them from accessing information on their sexuality, all of which must be removed.

According to the World Health Organisation, 2018 report, about 1.2 billion people (1 in 6) are adolescent between the age of 10-19. About 2.1 million adolescents live with HIV in 2016 and globally, there are 44 births per 1000 girls aged 15-19 per year. The vast majority of these births occur within marriages that are often forced as with some countries in sub-Saharan Africa without strict policy on teenage marriage and pregnancies. This is not the group to be ignored in attaining sound sexual and reproductive health. Adolescent faces significant difficulties in accessing contraception, whether or not they are married and the lack of access to such services makes this group an endangered species.

Developing countries in particular must note that utmost attention to the adolescent group and enforcing strict policies, action plans, inclusivity and diversity are critical to achieving a robust sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, it is important to communicate these measures in a clear term to the general public. Hence, both the media and sexual and reproductive health activist has a particular role to play. It no time for mere words. Action is required. Let’s begin!

Tijani Salami, MD

Sexual and reproductive health expert,

HolyNations International Ministries.

Nigeria.