How Do Sustainable Development Goals Relate to Reproductive Health

Introduction

The goals for sustainable development (SDGs) are made up of 17 global goals which were set by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP,2016). Sexual reproductive health (SRH) implies a wide range of health issues, including family planning; maternal and newborn health care; prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV adolescent SRH, cervical cancer screening, infertility prevention and management (Germain, Garcia-Moreno and Shankar, 2015). Each of the 17 goals has other sub goals within it with some either directly or indirectly addressing SRH. Take an example of Goal three that relates to health and wellbeing, some of the sub goals relate to SRH however others relate to wellbeing issues in general (Smith, Griggs, Gaffney, Ullah, Reyers, Kanie, and O’Connell, 2017). However, there are other goals that indirectly contribute to policies and goals around SRH such as Goal five. Below I have discussed Goals that relate either directly or Indirectly to SRH (UNDP,2016).

Sustainable development Goal three: Good Health and Well-Being for People.

The third goal of the SDGs is a commitment to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases by achieving universal health coverage, and provide access to safe and affordable medicines and vaccines for all by supporting research and development for vaccines is an essential part of this process as well by 2030 (UNDP,2016). The main targets of the goals that relate to SRH are to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. Secondly, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, waterborne diseases and other communicable diseases SDG three also commits to ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes. World Health Organization (2017) recommends a comprehensive approach as per their reproductive health strategy which includes improving antenatal, perinatal, postpartum and newborn care; providing high-quality services for family planning (FP), including infertility services; eliminating unsafe abortion; combating STIs (including HIV), reproductive tract infections (RTIs), cervical cancer and other gynecological morbidities; and promoting sexual health. The last target that relates to SRH is the achievement of universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

Sustainable development Goal Five: Gender Equality

The main targets of this goal are centered around bringing an end to any and all forms of discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic human right, but it also crucial to accelerating sustainable development. Part of the target either directly or indirectly address SRH not just for women but for men as well (UNDP 2016).

One of the targets that relates to SRH seeks to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. According to UNDP (2016) Up to 7 in 10 women around the world experience physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime. Implementation of the target will therefore lead to a reduction in the numbers of sexual violence. The third target of goal five strives to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. With FGM still being a common practice especially in developing countries Salam et al. (2016) asserts that Girls exposed to FGM are at risk of immediate physical consequences, such as severe pain, bleeding, shock, difficulty in passing urine and feces, and infections. Long-term consequences can include chronic pain, sexual/orgasmic dysfunction, infections, and mental trauma. Finally, the sixth target seeks to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. (UNDP,2016). Adolescents have special sexual and reproductive health needs whether or not they are sexually active or married (Salam et al. 2016).

Sustainable development Goal Ten: Reduce inequality within and among countries

Over the years there has been an existing gap as far equality is concerned in different areas of life and in different countries. These widening disparities require the adoption and implementation of sound policies to empower the bottom percentile of income earners, and promote economic inclusion of all regardless of sex, race or ethnicity (UNDP,2016).

One of the targets of this goal is that empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. According to the report, UNDP (2016) in developing countries, rural women are up to three times more likely to die in childbirth than women living in urban centers. This is largely due to the fact that in rural areas access to health care facilities is a challenge due to the poor infrastructure and the cost of getting treated may be expensive for most of the village dwellers (Germain et al, 2015).

Sustainable development Goal Sixteen: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Sexual violence, crime, exploitation and torture are also prevalent where there is conflict or no rule of law, and countries must take measures to protect those who are most at risk (UNDP, 2016).

One of the targets in this goals that relates to SRH is to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. In a research done by McAlpine, Hossain and Zimmerman (2016) findings indicate there are various forms of human trafficking and sexual exploitation especially among children in conflict-affected settings, primarily occurring as early or forced marriage, forced combatant sexual exploitation, and sexual slavery. Implementation of some of the SDGs target will reduce or even completely eliminate human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors.