Introduction
The Millennium Development Goals (and in particular MDG 6) will not be achieved without an effective global response to HIV/AIDS. Ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and programmes is central to this, and will help bring a disease under control that has created countless millions of orphans worldwide and has been largely responsible for the life expectancy of countries like Botswana plumetting from 70 to 50 in the last two decades.
Fast Facts
Links to factsheets
Background
The AIDS epidemic is a global catastrophe, responsible for over 20 million deaths worldwide, tens of millions of children left orphaned, and 40 million people living with HIV. Similarly, five hundred million people a year suffer from reproductive health morbidity or a lack of access to modern contraceptives, and there are over half a million pregnancy-related deaths each year. There is a clear link between SRHR and HIV/AIDS: The majority of HIV infections are sexually transmitted or associated with pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. The interactions between sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS are now widely recognized.
Furthermore, sexual and reproductive ill-health and HIV/AIDS share root causes, including poverty, gender inequality and social marginalization of the most vulnerable populations. The international community agrees that the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without ensuring access to SRH services and an effective global response to HIV/AIDS.
Publications
EPF Activities
Parliamentary intervention
- Parliamentary Appeal to G8 Heads of State and Governments Berlin, 31 May 2007
- Motion for a resolution: Hon. Kenneth Gibson MSP, Scottish Assembly, 04 August 2008: AIDS 2008
- Oral Parliamentary question: Hon. Martine de Maght, MP, Belgium Federal Parliament, 08 October 2008: "Efforts made in combating HIV/AIDS"
- Written Parliamentary Question: Hon. Kathleen Ferrier, MP, parliament of the Netherlands, 12 November 2009: “Fight against HIV/AIDS in Russia” https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/ah-tk-20092010-989.html
- Written Parliamentary question: Hon Kamal Qureshi, MP parliament of Denmark, 15 July 2010: No. 193 (funding for HIV/AIDS and SRHR)
What others have said
- "We have to be honest with ourselves: We can't keep spending AIDS resources in exactly the same way we do today. As we continue to advocate for more funding, we also need to make sure we're getting the most benefit from each dollar of AIDS funding and every ounce of effort."
Bill Gates – World Aids Conference, Vienna 2010
- “Since the main mode of HIV transmission is still sexual we cannot talk about preventing HIV without talking about sexuality, reproductive health services, or sexual and reproductive health and rights. “
Dr Marijke Wijnroks, Netherlands AIDS Ambassador “at UNAIDS Head Quarters in Geneva. January, 2010
- ‘‘Young people are the key in the fight against AIDS. By giving them the support they need, we can empower them to protect themselves against the virus. By giving them honest and straightforward information, we can break the circle of silence across all society. By creating effective campaigns for education and prevention, we can turn young people’s enthusiasm, drive and dreams for the future into powerful tools for tackling the epidemic.’’
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General, in a speech given at Zhejiang University, China, in October 2002, where he received an honorary doctorate. |
