Committing to sexual and reproductive health and rights: investing in people through universal health coverage: an investment in people

Overview

All people deserve access to the health care they need, when and where they need it, without financial hardship. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are an essential part of the universal health coverage (UHC) promise and must be fully integrated into laws and policies, benefit packages, sustainable financing mechanisms and accountability frameworks if UHC is to be achieved.

Building on the longstanding commitment of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to UHC, and partnership with WHO, this brief explains how parliamentarians can ensure that SRHR is treated as an integral component of health care rather than as a separate or optional area of service delivery. It identifies five areas for parliamentary action: reviewing and strengthening laws; ensuring comprehensive sexual and reproductive health coverage; engaging constituencies and communities; enabling access without financial hardship; and strengthening oversight and accountability. Through legislation, budgetary processes, government oversight and evidence-informed decision-making, parliamentarians can help translate national and international commitments into equitable access to quality SRH services.