UN criticises developed countries for reneging on promises on sexual health
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《英国医生杂志》
The developed world is breaking its pledges to fund sexual and reproductive health care in the developing world, says a new report published this week by the Alan Guttmacher Institute and the United Nations Population Fund.
"It is time for developed countries to live up to the pledges they made at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). In 2000, these countries provided $2.6 billion for sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries條ess than half of what they had pledged at ICPD for that year," the report states.
"Sexual and reproductive ill health accounts for one-third of the global burden of disease among women of reproductive age and one-fifth of the burden of disease among the population overall," it adds. The problem of HIV and AIDS is responsible for 6% of the global burden of disease.
"The impact of poor sexual and reproductive health falls hardest on the most disadvantaged groups, especially women and children, and disproportionately affects women in low-income countries," states the report.
The report further contends that contraceptive services are currently undervalued relative to other components of sexual and reproductive health. "As striking as these numbers are, the personal, social and economic benefits of contraceptive services may be even more important. Unintended pregnancy, which contraceptive use prevents, can harm individuals, families, communities and societies in ways that are difficult to measure," argues the report.
"Satisfying the unmet need for contraceptive services in developing countries would avert 52 million unintended pregnancies annually, which, in turn would save more than 1.5 million lives and prevent 505 000 children from losing their mothers," state the authors.
The cost of providing contraceptive services to the 201 million women in developing countries whose needs are unfulfilled is estimated at $3.9bn a year.
Existing approaches also fail to take account of the wider gains that investment in sexual and reproductive health care can provide. "Current approaches largely fail to recognize the nonmedical benefits of sexual and reproductive health interventions and thus undervalue these interventions. For example, in addition to its medical benefits, maternal health care helps families remain intact, enables higher household savings and investment, and encourages higher productivity," write the authors.
The report calls for "sustained and increased investment in sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries," saying that this would promise "tremendous benefits" to women, families, and societies.
Improving sexual and reproductive health is considered by the authors to underpin all of the millennium development goals.
Adding It Up: The Benefits of Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care is available at www.guttmacher.org/pubs/addingitup.pdf(BMJ Vittal Katikireddi)
"It is time for developed countries to live up to the pledges they made at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). In 2000, these countries provided $2.6 billion for sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries條ess than half of what they had pledged at ICPD for that year," the report states.
"Sexual and reproductive ill health accounts for one-third of the global burden of disease among women of reproductive age and one-fifth of the burden of disease among the population overall," it adds. The problem of HIV and AIDS is responsible for 6% of the global burden of disease.
"The impact of poor sexual and reproductive health falls hardest on the most disadvantaged groups, especially women and children, and disproportionately affects women in low-income countries," states the report.
The report further contends that contraceptive services are currently undervalued relative to other components of sexual and reproductive health. "As striking as these numbers are, the personal, social and economic benefits of contraceptive services may be even more important. Unintended pregnancy, which contraceptive use prevents, can harm individuals, families, communities and societies in ways that are difficult to measure," argues the report.
"Satisfying the unmet need for contraceptive services in developing countries would avert 52 million unintended pregnancies annually, which, in turn would save more than 1.5 million lives and prevent 505 000 children from losing their mothers," state the authors.
The cost of providing contraceptive services to the 201 million women in developing countries whose needs are unfulfilled is estimated at $3.9bn a year.
Existing approaches also fail to take account of the wider gains that investment in sexual and reproductive health care can provide. "Current approaches largely fail to recognize the nonmedical benefits of sexual and reproductive health interventions and thus undervalue these interventions. For example, in addition to its medical benefits, maternal health care helps families remain intact, enables higher household savings and investment, and encourages higher productivity," write the authors.
The report calls for "sustained and increased investment in sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries," saying that this would promise "tremendous benefits" to women, families, and societies.
Improving sexual and reproductive health is considered by the authors to underpin all of the millennium development goals.
Adding It Up: The Benefits of Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care is available at www.guttmacher.org/pubs/addingitup.pdf(BMJ Vittal Katikireddi)