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September 2023
Message from the Director, Dept. of SRH and HRP
Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly and the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are in jeopardy. Remaining focused on evidence and science is essential to ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health and services throughout the life course.
WHO and HRP’s record of evidence generation, synthesis and research includes decades of groundbreaking work. Examples include safe and comprehensive abortion care, access to and safety of contraception, maternal and perinatal health, STIs and HIV, fertility care, violence against women, female genital mutilation, self-care and sexual health.
It is simply not possible to achieve gender equality without these services that address fundamental issues of power, protection and justice.
This September issue of the HRP newsletter is filled with resources that can be used to help ensure sexual and reproductive health is integrated into national health policies, as well as plans for strengthening UHC that align with commitments to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Please join us in the pursuit to deliver SRHR for all.
- Dr Pascale Allotey, Director, Department of SRH WHO and HRP
What's new
Investing in SRHR
This technical brief presents evidence on how access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services are critical for achieving universal health coverage while also contributing to gender equality and achieving the SDGs.
Learning by Sharing Portal
Ahead of the High-Level Meeting on UHC, check in for the latest implementation stories on safe abortion, prioritizing SRHR financing, reaching indigenous populations and much more.
HRP translates research and normative guidance into action at the national level. The fourth story in the Impact Series highlights examples of the remarkable work of HRP in a range of countries. Access the story here.
Did you know?
Investing in sexual and reproductive health services reduces unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and maternal deaths.
HRP@50 Expert Film Series
The full series of films featuring the people behind HRP has launched. The series spans 12 topic areas across sexual and reproductive health and the experts at the heart of what HRP has achieved throughout the decades.
European Parliamentary Forum signs MOU with WHO
The memorandum of understanding will strengthen the bridge between science and policy to advance SRHR for all through evidence-based laws and policies, awareness raising and capacity building.
Online course: How data can help end VAW
WHO-UN Women Joint Programme on Violence Against Women Data and Measurement, in collaboration with Apolitical and HRP, launched this free online course for public servants and policy makers.
Meetings and webinars
Mobile phone app for abortion care
20 Septempber at 08:00 ET
Learn more about WHO and HRP's recently launched mobile phone app, which supports health workers in their decision-making process, as they provide safe, effective, person-centred abortion care. Register at the link below.
Renewing the promise for Women, Children and Adolescents
18 September at 07:30 ET
A high-level event on the occasion of the UNGA, hosted by His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa President of the Republic of South Africa, Chair of the Global Leaders Network on Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.
Register for livestream here.
Accelerating SDG Commitments: 1.8 Billion Adolescents and Youth Transforming our World: High-level luncheon dialogue
19 September at 13:15 ET
This high-level dialogue hosted by the Government of Honduras will convene Member States to amplify the adolescent- and youth-specific commitments announced at the 2023 SDG Summit by Member States, as part of the 1.8 Billion Young People for Change advocacy efforts.
Register for livestream here.
Celebrating 50 Years of Contraceptive Research: Harnessing WHO’s Scientific Leadership in Contraception to Achieve Development Goals
26 September at 09:00 ET
Hear about the range of work being done in contraception technology including male contraception, implementation research, and partnerships.
Let's talk about sex...and maternal health
Recording available: The effect of pregnancy on sexual health: What providers should know
This webinar addresses what we know about the impact of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum on sexual and gynaecological function, and how this affects counseling and service delivery.
Cosponsor corner
Migration, climate change, children
Children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers and now account for a larger share of the migrant population than other regions in the world, according to a UNICEF child alert issued 7 September 2023.
Inclusive innovation challenge
UNFPA is pleased to announce the winners of the first AccessAbility Innovation Challenge, innovative solutions to address barriers to SRHR faced by young people living with disabilities.
Ending Gender-Based Violence - A 10-year retrospective
From 2012 to 2022, the World Bank retraces the institution's evolving perspectives and strategies in addressing gender-based violence, a deeply rooted manifestation of gender inequality.
SDG Push
UNDP has a new tool with reports from 90+ countries on progress toward the SDGs. Each report stems from national priorities and challenges that countries navigate daily. The reports deliver a playbook, showing the policy choices made by governments under tight fiscal and financial constraints.
Upcoming
Photo exhibit at the Palais des Nations
The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva will jointly host with WHO & HRP a photo exhibit and special event at the Palais des Nations (25-30 September). Siding with science for health outcomes: Celebrating access to safe abortion care for the health and rights of women and girls features a collection of photos from Moldova, Nepal, Pakistan and Sierra Leone. Register for the event on 28 Sept at 13:00.
WHO and HRP at FIGO Congress
WHO and HRP are proud to join the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) at their 24th World Congress in Paris, France this October with a dedicated stream of 24+ sessions, along with an expert series hosted at the WHO/HRP booth. Keep up to date on the programme at the link below.
World Health Summit – the new women’s health agenda
Women's health has traditionally been narrowly defined as reproductive health, but women and girls are increasingly advocating for a more comprehensive and holistic approach. On 16 October WHO will cohost a panel at the World Health Summit exploring challenges and solutions, including the power of research to disrupt and change.
Publications
Journal articles
Abortion
Inclusion of abortion-related care in national health benefit packages: results from a WHO global survey, BMJ Global Health, Link
Aligning health worker education and learning approaches with population health needs: WHO’s Family Planning and Comprehensive Abortion Care Toolkit for the primary healthcare workforce, BMJ Global Health, Link
Digital Innovations
Experiences in aligning WHO SMART guidelines to classification and terminology standards, BMJ Health & Care Informatics, Link
Family planning and contraception
Assessing the sustainability of two independent voucher-based family planning programs in Pakistan: a 24-months post-intervention evaluation, Contraception and Reproductive Medicine, Link
Determining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Availability, Use, and Readiness of Family Planning and Contraceptive Services at Selected Primary Health Care Facilities in Africa and Asia: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study, JMIR, Link
The impact of community and provider-driven social accountability interventions on contraceptive use: findings from a cohort study of new users in Ghana and Tanzania, International Journal of Equity in Health, Link
The role of social accountability in changing service users’ values, attitudes, and interactions with the health services: a pre-post study, BMC Health Services Research, Link
The Methodological Approach to a Process Evaluation of a Community and Provider-Driven Social Accountability Intervention to Increase Contraceptive Uptake and Use, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, Link
Maternal and perinatal health
New Antenatal Model in Africa and India (NAMAI) study: implementation research to improve antenatal care using WHO recommendations, Health Research Policy and Systems, Link
Mistreatment of women during childbirth and postpartum depression: secondary analysis of WHO community survey across four countries, BMJ Global Health, Link
Self-care
Self-care interventions for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights – implementation considerations, Journal of Global Health Reports, Link
Self-monitoring of blood glucose levels among pregnant individuals with gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Frontiers in Global Women's Health, Link
STIs
Mycoplasma genitalium prevalence, antimicrobial resistance-associated mutations, and coinfections with non-viral sexually transmitted infections in high-risk populations in Guatemala, Malta, Morocco, Peru and South Africa, 2019–2021, Frontiers in Microbiology, Link
Translations
Clinical management of rape and intimate partner violence survivors: developing protocols for use in humanitarian settings (Postępowanie kliniczne w przypadkach zgwałcenia i przemocy w relacjach intymnych: zasady opracowania protokołów postępowania w warunkach kryzysów humanitarnych), Polish
Responding to children and adolescents who have been sexually abused: WHO clinical guidelines (Udzielanie pomocy dzieciom i młodzieży, które zostały wykorzystane seksualnie: wytyczne kliniczne opracowane przez WHO), Polish
