News Release

Making good sexual and reproductive health a reality for all

EMBARGO: 00:01H (London time) Wednesday November 1, 2006. In North America the embargo lifts at 18:30H ET Tuesday October 31, 2006

Peer-Reviewed Publication

The Lancet_DELETED

The final paper in the Online/Series represents a call to action and focuses on what needs to be done to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health services by 2015.

Sexual and reproductive health for all is an achievable goal--if cost-effective interventions are properly scaled up; political commitment is revitalised; and financial resources are mobilised, rationally allocated, and more effectively used, write Mahmoud Fathalla (Assiut University, Egypt) and colleagues.

Scaling-up cost effective interventions

  • Interventions need to be tailored to the local context; there's no magic bullet solution
  • Focus is needed on the modification and building of basic health-care systems, especially in rural areas
  • Training of health personnel other than physicians is needed because of the current human resource crisis
  • Non-governmental organisations have a key role to play; they can move more quickly and less clumsily than governments
  • HIV/AIDS services need to be linked with sexual and reproductive health services

Revitalisation of political commitment

  • NGOs are well placed to present evidence to policymakers
  • Economic arguments about the benefits of good sexual reproductive health are the way forward in the competition for scarce resources

Resources

  • Funds need to be accessed from donors other than the US because US funding is linked to ideological policies
  • Developing countries should attempt to mobilise new resources

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EARLY ONLINE PUBLICATION: Wednesday November 1, 2006

EMBARGO: 00:01H (London time) Wednesday November 1, 2006. In North America the embargo lifts at 18:30H ET Tuesday October 31, 2006.

The Lancet press office T) +44 (0) 207 424 4949/4249 or 07798 882 308 (mobile) pressoffice@lancet.com

WHO, Christopher Powell in Geneva T) +41 22 7912888 mobile +41 79 217 3425 powellc@who.int

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Press Office on 020 7927 2073


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