Universal Health Coverage: What does SRHR have to do with it? – Women Deliver

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DRAFT STATEMENT >> View here

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Analysis by Susan Papp, Managing Director of Policy & Advocacy at Women Deliver

On 23 September, member states of the UN will hold a High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), to solidify political commitment to achieve “health for all.” To truly deliver on this promise, gender equality and girls’ and women’s health and rights must be front and center — and Women Deliver and partners have been working toward this goal.

The Alliance for Gender Equality and UHC — co-convened by Women Deliver, the International Women’s Health Coalition, and Women in Global Health, and comprised of more than 107 organizations from over 47 countries — has led a powerful advocacy effort to include a gender-lens to UHC in the High-Level Meeting Political Declaration and beyond. As is too often the case, the political pushback on women’s rights — particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights — has been fierce and unrelenting.

The Alliance rallied together with governments and others to safeguard references to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights in the final Political Declaration for the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage. Following the High-Level Meeting, Alliance members will continue to call for action at the country level to ensure that the needs of girls and women are meaningfully included in the resulting country plans. Widespread commitment to UHC has the potential to drive monumental progress around the world. Women Deliver will be pushing for UN member states to stand firm and commit to fully fund healthcare systems that are responsive to the needs of girls and women. Follow the conversation at #HealthForAll.

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