Sexual & Reproductive Health and HIV: beyond Silos

COURSES AND PROGRAMMES CAN BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV in the 2030 Agenda

Every year, 300,000 maternal deaths, 2.1 million stillbirths, 2.6 million neonatal deaths occur worldwide, and approximately 130,000 children under 5 years of age acquire HIV, primarily through vertical transmission. About 164 million women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income settings who want to avoid pregnancy are not using a modern contraceptive method. In addition, about 25 million unsafe abortions occur each year, contributing heavily to maternal mortality and morbidity, which fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable groups of women and adolescent girls. At the same time, HIV has led to one of the most devastating epidemics of the 20^th century; worldwide 39 million people are living with HIV. Key populations such as sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), adolescent girls and young women in southern Africa, and injection drug users are particularly affected by this epidemic. Populations at increased risk of HIV acquisition are often disproportionately affected by other (bacterial) sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis.

We know how to prevent and treat the vast majority of sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn ill-health. However, putting policy and evidence into practice through the delivery of good quality, patient-centered healthcare and tackling broader inequalities remains a major challenge. Progress has been made in the past decades, for instance, on the reduction of maternal mortality and vertical HIV transmission. However, the current rate of improvement is insufficient to meet the ambitious 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services and ending the HIV epidemic. Reducing new HIV infections is challenging. With no cure or vaccine, combination prevention needs to reach key populations, who often lack basic human rights and for whom stigma and discrimination undermine service access. The field faces additional challenges with continued population growth in certain regions, the largest generation of adolescents in history, and insecure access to sexual and reproductive rights and choices, among others. 

Historically, sexual and reproductive health programs and HIV programs have been siloed, despite their overlap and synergies. Broad consensus now exists that linking sexual and reproductive health programs with HIV programs is not only beneficial but critical to meet national and international targets. Policies have been outlined, but implementation is lagging behind. Time to address this unfinished agenda!

This 3-week course is designed for programme managers, decision-makers, health professionals/clinicians, and researchers involved in sexual and reproductive health programmes and interventions.

The course takes a gender and human rights perspective and provides conceptual, theory-and evidence- based frameworks and tools for the management and evaluation of sexual and reproductive health programmes, in particular in low and middle income countries. The course provides a unique opportunity to understand important and current issues in sexual and reproductive health within broader social, health system, and policy contexts.

The course draws on ITM’s comprehensive expertise in sexual and reproductive health, maternal and newborn health, HIV and other STIs. This includes epidemiological, social science and health systems perspectives, and builds on the rich exchange of experience between students from many different regions.