Advocacy - Countdown 2015 Europe
Sexual and reproductive health is essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Within this ensuring that all people everywhere have access to reproductive health supplies is central.
Interact Worldwide is part of Countdown 2015 Europe, a group of 18 leading European NGOs experienced in advocacy for reproductive health. We work in 15 European countries to achieve increased support from European donors for Reproductive Health Supplies (RHS). We also aim to improve European coordination and coherence to narrow the gaps between the needs, demand and availability of supplies.
Building greater political and financial commitment in Europe is key to securing universal access to reproductive health as an essential step toward achieving the MDGs. We want European donors to increase their commitment to RHS and take a lead on ensuring universal access to RHS is achieved.
What are Reproductive Health Supplies?
Reproductive health supplies (RHS) are not just condoms and other contraceptives.
According to UNFPA, they refer to ‘all the essential equipment, commodities and medicines required for sexual and reproductive health, maternal and neonatal health and for effective responses to HIV and AIDS'.
Why do we need to increase funding?
350 million women worldwide lack access to reproductive health supplies and every minute a women dies of pregnancy related causes, often due to lack of supplies. Globally 137 million women cannot access the contraception they want. Almost two thirds of women in Sub-Saharan Africa do not use modern contraception and almost half are using no family planning.
There is currently an enormous gap between the demand for RHS and their supply, due to rising demand and falling support.
- There are now more people of reproductive age - current 15-25 year olds are the largest ever generation of young people.
- Growing demand - use of RHS is expected to increase 40% by 2015 due to population growth and the success of family planning programmes.
- Increased transmission of HIV - 75% of all infections are through sexual transmission, making condoms essential for HIV prevention.
For more information on Countdown 2015 Europe in the UK please email Aoife Nic Charthaigh on niccharthaigha@interactworldwide.org or download the brochure.
RESOURCES
Briefing Papers
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SUPPLIES - THE FACTS
ACHIEVING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH - Read the recommendations of Countdown 2015 Europe on how the UK could play its part in acheiving universal access to reproductive health.
FINANCING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH - Read the UK brief laying out the estimates of UK fair share to acheive universal access to reproductive health.
AID EFFECTIVENESS AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH - Read the UK brief outlining our recommendations on how aid effectiveness can be effective for reproductive health.
Reports
FUNDING FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SUPPLIES - Read 'Funding for Reproductive Health Supplies: An Analysis of Official Development Assistance from European Donors'. This report identifies available funding from all European governments and the European Commission for sexual and reproductive health as well as reproductive health supplies. For the UK we find that it is very difficult to identify dedicated funding for reproductive health supplies.
OPTIONS TO INCREASE INVESTMENT - Read the second edition of the inception report of Countdown 2015 Europe that lays out the current estimates for ensuring universal access to reproductive health supplies as well as updates on the availability of funding for SRH through the Global Fund and the International Health Partnership
