Launched today at the 2018 AIDS conference is a call to the global community to undertake 10 actions that are urgently needed to advance both sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and HIV prevention, treatment and care.
There has been a marked shift in the global development agenda to develop, fund and implement multisectoral interventions that jointly advance both SRHR, and HIV prevention, treatment and care. These joint interventions are increasingly being implemented by countries, especially within primary health care settings.
The Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage agendas provide important opportunities to reimagine and enhance equitable health coverage, which meets the needs and rights of all, and in particular of key and vulnerable populations. This enhanced health coverage builds upon existing progress made in both strengthening the evidence base and implementing bi-directional SRHR and HIV linkages, to ensure enabling policy environments, better aligned health systems and integrated service delivery.
The Call to Action is supported by over 35 diverse organizations including advocacy and youth groups, civil society groups, non-governmental organizations, UN and other international organisations. The Call to Action was developed and coordinated by the Inter-Agency Working Groupon on SRHR and HIV Linkages.
Key actions
- Ensure meaningful community engagement
- Generate broad-based political will with accountable leadership and governance
- Amend harmful laws and policies
- Fund the provision of SRH and HIV services
- Improve alignment and coordination within and between stakeholders across the health system
- Reorient the health system to an integrated model for delivering primary health care services, including SRH and HIV
- Establish stronger multi-sectoral partnerships
- Support a life course approach to providing rights-based, accessible, quality and integrated SRH and HIV services.
- Generate inter-disciplinary operational and implementation research
- Promote innovative approaches that advance joint SRHR and HIV health outcomes.
In the context of SRHR and HIV linkages, special attention should be given to people living with HIV, sex workers, transgender people, men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, and people in prisons and closed settings, with additional attention for adolescents and young key populations.