• International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)

International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)

This report from Population Action International examines progress made towards achieving the goal of reproductive health and rights for all by 2015, agreed at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Key achievements include a significant increase in contraceptive use, and higher secondary school enrolment rates among girls. However, significant challenges remain, notably: high unmet need for effective contraception and protection from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs); continuing high levels of maternal mortality; high rates of unsafe abortion; and an acute and growing resource shortfall, with many clinics experiencing stockouts (zero supplies) of contraceptives, safe motherhood kits and other reproductive health essentials.

Key factors for ensuring future progress include: support from policymakers, commitment of adequate financial and human resources, cross-sectoral partnerships, local capacity-building, and improved health care infrastructures and information systems. The report welcomes the ICPD-inspired shift to a more holistic view of reproductive health, encompassing gender dynamics, infectious disease, social context and health service factors. However, it concludes that progress in reproductive health needs to be tied more closely to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It also calls for a more coherent set of reproductive health indicators to measure progress and enable more effective advocacy.

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