This statement has been amended to include additional details and links.
"The Guttmacher Institute, a leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally, welcomes the “ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages” theme of the 58th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). This theme could not be more timely, as global health, development and human rights communities face unprecedented attacks that threaten to undo decades of progress and stall further implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, a global consensus document recognizing that reproductive health and rights are integral to achieving human rights and gender equality.
"Guttmacher’s work is guided by the understanding that comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential to health and well-being for all, throughout the life course. Our research consistently shows that investing in sexual and reproductive health care is both cost-effective and yields enormous returns in terms of social and economic development goals. We echo the UN Secretary General’s position in his recent report on the CPD theme that sexual and reproductive health is a core component of the right to health and the ICPD Programme of Action. Sexual and reproductive health services must also be integrated into national health plans through universal health coverage.
"As the global community works to rebuild and fortify health systems endangered by callous and drastic funding cuts, it must commit to breaking down silos by joining forces across health, development, human rights and gender equality sectors. Cross-sector collaboration is essential in addressing remaining challenges to ICPD implementation and reaching those most often left behind. For instance, populations living in humanitarian settings are facing increasingly insurmountable barriers to accessing SRHR services, information and essential resources. Likewise, adolescents face persistent inequalities in access to SRH information and services, and work is needed to address stigma around adolescent sexuality and to increase access to comprehensive sexuality education. More efforts are needed to understand and address the distinct needs of these and other underserved populations.
"Finally, strengthening health interventions and achieving the vision laid out by the ICPD Programme of Action requires access to reliable, timely and high-quality population data. The recent termination of US funding for the Demographic Health Survey program is harming efforts to collect this critical information. At a time when the spread of misinformation and disinformation threatens to undermine public trust in science and evidence, greater investments are needed in robust data and information systems that enable evidence-based and transparent decision-making and accountability.
"Prior to 2025, global health systems were already facing many challenges, including funding shortfalls and widespread inequalities in access to services between and within countries. The new Trump administration’s abrupt cuts to global health assistance, paired with projected declines in other streams of global health foreign assistance, threaten to exacerbate these challenges. Guttmacher urges Member States gathered this week to reaffirm their commitments to protect SRHR, recognizing that building resilient health systems includes the provision of the full spectrum of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health interventions that are essential to sustainable development, equality and human rights."