Reproductive health
WHO/Yoshi Shimizu
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Reproductive health

    Overview
    Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. Reproductive health implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so.
    Fact sheets
    Data
    WHO resolutions

    Abortion care

    Quality abortion care is a critical part of the universal right to health and essential to protect the health of women and girls everywhere. Based on the latest scientific evidence, the consolidated guideline brings together over 50 recommendations spanning clinical practice, health service delivery, and legal and policy interventions to support quality abortion care.

    HRP and WHO Social Media Kit

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    News

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    9 July 2025
    News release

    Without urgent action, 18 million more women and girls in South Asia could suffer from anaemia by 2030

    Anaemia remains one of South Asia’s most persistent health and equity challenges, affecting nearly half of all adolescent girls and women in the region. Now, experts warn that with ...

    7 April 2025
    Statement

    World Health Day 2025 - Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures

    The establishment of a specialized international health organization was first proposed in April 1945, when diplomats met in San Francisco to form the United Nations. The followin ...

    19 September 2024
    News release

    WHO calls for adolescent responsive health systems, emphasizes on triple dividend benefit

    The World Health Organization urged countries in South-East Asia Region to ensure health systems are responsive to the unique needs of adolescents, highlighting its ‘triple dividen ...

    17 November 2023
    Statement

    Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action 2023

    As of 2020, the SEA Region accounted for a substantial portion of the global cervical cancer burden, with 200,000 new cases (32% of the global burden) and 100,000 deaths (34% of gl ...

    Latest publications

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    Manual for a Short Programme Review on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in the South-East Asia Region
    25 October 2023

    Manual for a Short Programme Review on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in...

    The WHO South-East Asia Region is committed to accelerating improvements in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) and...

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    Comprehensive Abortion Care: A Health Facility Assessment Tool
    27 April 2023

    Comprehensive Abortion Care: A Health Facility Assessment Tool

    In recent years, the South-East Asia Region achieved its highest rate of decline in maternal mortality. In the period from 2007 to 2017, maternal deaths...

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    Access to medical abortion medicines in the South-East Asia Region - a status report
    25 August 2022

    Access to medical abortion medicines in the South-East Asia Region - a status report

    Over half of all estimated unsafe abortions globally in 2015–2019 were in Asia. A sizeable numberof these happened in the WHO South-East Asia (‎SEA)‎...

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    A monitoring framework across the life-course including gender, equity, right approach
    25 August 2022

    A monitoring framework across the life-course including gender, equity, right approach

    Over the past decade, Member States of the WHO South-East (SE) Asia Region have sustained remarkable achievements with regard to improving reproductive...

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    First Trimester Abortion: Pocket Book for Health-Care Providers
    25 August 2022

    First Trimester Abortion: Pocket Book for Health-Care Providers

    Goal of the pocketbook:Management of first trimester abortion. Strengthening the knowledge and standardizing the skills of health-care providers, enabling...

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    Setting up and managing a quality improvement programme at the district level; Point-of-care quality improvement; District programme management guide
    27 April 2022

    Setting up and managing a quality improvement programme at the district level; Point-of-care quality...

    For reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality, the focus has been on reaching higher coverage with key reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health...

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    Assessment tool for hospital care: improving the quality of care for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health in South-East Asia
    22 January 2022

    Assessment tool for hospital care: improving the quality of care for reproductive, maternal, neonatal,...

    Available statistics on the causes of maternal, newborn and child mortality highlight the fact that most of the deaths are as a result complications during...

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    Success stories in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health: a regional compendium from WHO South-East Asia Region
    6 September 2021

    Success stories in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health: a regional compendium...

    The WHO South-East Asia Region has achieved a commendable 71% reduction in under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) and 62% reduction in neonatal mortality rate (NMR)...

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    Meeting reports

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    Cover of Regional capacity building for policy dialogue on Sexual and Reproductive Health
    20 July 2021

    Regional capacity building for policy dialogue on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

    Policy solutions such as legislative and regulatory interventions are critical to addressing important global public health problems at the population...

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    Cover of Training Resources for Safe Abortion
    19 June 2021

    Virtual Expert Group Meeting to Review Competency-Based Pre-Service Curriculum and Training Resources...

    A Virtual Expert Group Meeting to Review Competency-Based Pre-Service Curriculum and Training Resources for Safe Abortion was held from 19 – 21...

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    Cover of South-East Asia Regional Technical Advisory Group (SEAR-TAG) and SRHR Technical Subcommittee
    12 January 2021

    Report of the Sixth Meeting of the South-East Asia Regional Technical Advisory Group (‎SEAR-TAG)‎ and...

    Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and its targets related to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health has been a robust challenge, more...

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    Cover of 5th Mtg of SEAR-TAG 28-29 November 2019
    23 December 2019

    Fifth Meeting of the SEAR-TAG and first meeting of Sexual Reproductive Health Technical subcommittee...

    A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for women’s and children’s health was created by WHO’s South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) by the...

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    Videos

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    4 April 2021

    The Perils of Unsafe Abortion - a case study
    4 April 2021

    Saved from being shamed - a case study promoting safe abortions