Health Priorities Post 2015: What is the Priority Health Agenda for the 15 Years after 2015?

This submission from the High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) prioritises sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the post 2015 development agenda.

Its top priorities include:

• Legislative advocacy: "Providing recognition and protections in national legislation that affirm fundamental human rights, specifically sexual and reproductive rights , the right to the highest attainable standard of health and freedom from gender-based violence, including by removing legal, policy and regulatory barriers and punitive provisions, and guaranteeing people’s ability to exercise these rights..."
• "Provision of universal access to sexual and reproductive information, education and services throughout the life-cycle, from younger to older age groups, with emphasis on prevention..." 
• Provision of youth-friendly information and services "that respect young people’s right to confidentiality, privacy and informed consent, with a focus on prevention of unintended and unsafe pregnancy, HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and timely health, psychological, social, and legal supports in cases of violence. Particular attention should be paid to outreach and quality service access for adolescent girls, including to reduce unintended pregnancies and maternal deaths among this age group."
• "Ensuring universal access to comprehensive sexuality education for all young people, in and out of school, as part of their basic 'life literacy'..."
• "Developing age-friendly sexual and reproductive health information and services for older women and men..."
• "Strengthening health system capacities to provide for the delivery of quality, comprehensive, integrated sexual and reproductive health information, counseling and services, in compliance with human rights, ethical and professional standards, including as regards enabling policies, protocols, commodities and supplies, equipment and expanded rights-based provider training."
• "Making access to essential sexual and reproductive health contraceptives, commodities, drugs and services affordable to all who need and want them.... Low-cost means of delivering information and services should be sought, such as employing technological innovations where feasible (including mobile phones), which can increase access to information and services."
• "Eliminating all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls, including domestic and sexual violence, sexual abuse of children, sexual harassment, exploitation and trafficking, and harmful practices such as early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation, including through legislative reforms and enforcement to end impunity of perpetrators, and sustained prevention efforts involving public education, community mobilization and multi-media campaigns to transform underlying gender-discriminatory attitudes and practices that perpetuate the violence. Specific strategies should be developed to engage boys and men in eliminating gender-based violence...."
• "Effectively addressing men’s roles in eliminating gender discrimination and gender-based violence, and fulfilling sexual and reproductive rights for women, with emphasis on outreach and involvement of young men, through policy and programmatic interventions designed to redress negative gender norms and behaviors...."