Strengthening health system capacity is one of the areas where urgent action is recommended. Here a child receiving an immunizatiSon in Kohjat, Pakistan (Photo Arjen van de Merwe, Population Concern, Courtesy of PlanetWire.org)

New release
Accelerating progress towards the attainment of international reproductive health goals

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released a framework for implementing the global Reproductive Health Strategy, which was adopted in May 2004 by the 57th World Health Assembly. The global Strategy, the first of its kind, is aimed at accelerating progress towards the attainment of international development goals and targets.
It was developed through extensive consultations in all WHO regions with representatives from ministries of health, professional associations, NGOs, United Nations partner agencies and other key stakeholders. It recognizes the crucial role of sexual and reproductive health in social and economic development in all communities and calls for action in five key areas: strengthening health systems capacity; improving information for priority-setting; mobilizing political will; creating supportive legislative and regulatory frameworks; and strengthening monitoring, evaluation and accountability.
As a follow-up to the Strategy, a framework has been developed and released recently, which targets a wide range of policy-makers in Governments, international agencies, professional associations, NGOs and other institutions. Based on the above-mentioned five action areas to improve sexual and reproductive health, the framework suggests detailed actions for implementation at policy and programme levels, noting however that the local contexts need to be taken into account when deciding on which actions to take.
“The first step in taking the Strategy forward is for health ministries – with the active participation of relevant partners – to examine existing sexual and reproductive health services with a view to improving them… Application of the Strategy will require dedication, innovation and partnership”, the framework concludes. “By adopting it, the WHO Member States signaled their willingness to work with partners in a renewed commitment to international development goals and targets including the ICPD recommendations and the Millennium Development Goals”.