Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters has collaborated closely with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) on the development and implementation of a call to action to include SRHR as an essential element to achieve universal health coverage (UHC).

Universal health coverage (UHC) is rapidly emerging as an essential framework to promote healthy lives and wellbeing for all people (SDG 3). As countries define their UHC policies and programmes, there is a unique opportunity to ensure that UHC efforts include sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) interventions that are grounded in evidence and based on principles of gender equality and equity in access. Improving the health of women, girls and adolescents, including their SRHR, is at the centre of UHC’s broad health and development goals, and critical to their achievement.

“Sexual and reproductive health and rights: An essential element to achieving universal health coverage” highlights the concrete steps national governments and the global community can take to ensure the highest attainable standard of health for women, girls and adolescents through their UHC programmes. It builds on existing evidence demonstrating the positive impact of a comprehensive package of SRHR interventions on health and wellbeing and provides direction on how to approach programme planning and financing.