The adoption of a new target, “to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015”, under Millennium Development Goal 5, to reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio, by the United Nations General Assembly is being hailed as the culmination of a tireless campaign by the global reproductive health community.

The new target ensures the centrality of universal access to reproductive health in improving maternal and infant health and reducing poverty in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The importance of reproductive health to maternal and infant health, addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic, gender equality, human rights and poverty reduction has been recognized by the global community since the International Conference on Population and Development at Cairo in 1994, where 179 countries agreed to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health by 2015.

Yet when the MDGs were adopted in 2000 these logical and intimate links were ignored; nowhere did the MDGs set targets for universal access to reproductive health.

Fortunately, many governments, NGOs and other organizations recognized this omission, and began to call for increased commitment – political and financial – to reproductive health services, culminating in the General Assembly’s adoption of the universal access target this week.

Dr. Gill Greer, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said, “Sexual and reproductive health is one of the most important aspects of health policy in general and is crucially important in the reduction of global poverty. Despite continued opposition from some governments, including the United States, the UN General Assembly has made a decision that will save the lives and reduce the suffering of millions of women worldwide – especially the poorest women in the poorest countries, who bear a disproportionate level of maternal death and ill health.”

Dr. Greer continued, “500,000 women die in pregnancy or childbirth every year, the vast majority of whom live in the poorest countries on the planet; the lifetime risk of dying from complications in pregnancy or childbirth in Africa is a staggering 1 in 20, in Niger this is as high as 1 in every 7 women dying during pregnancy or childbirth. In Sweden this figure falls to 1 in 29,800. Millions more women will suffer illness, injury or disability.”

“If this global catastrophe is to be halted, the international community must act now to provide the political will and funding they promised for reproductive health over a decade ago in Cairo. Presently they are missing the mark by 50 per cent.”

The eight MDGs form the global framework for poverty reduction, with most of the 18 specific targets which comprise the MDGs to be met by 2015. Progress is measurable by 48 different indicators. The UN General Assembly has agreed to adopt 4 new targets, including universal access to reproductive health.

Contact: Paul Bell
Tel. + 44 (0) 207 939 8233
Mob. + 44 (0) 7799 335533
Email:pbell@ippf.org