As global leaders prepare to convene for the Commission on
Population and Development (CPD) in New York on 7 - 11 April 2025, the world
finds itself at a critical crossroads.
We can either recommit to human dignity, equality, and
justice—or risk unraveling decades of progress in global health.
Central to this choice is the urgent need to prioritize
sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as the bedrock of sustainable
development.
This is not just a health agenda—it is a human rights
imperative.
Globally, over 164 million women still have an unmet need
for modern contraception.
Every day, more than 800 women die from preventable causes
related to pregnancy and childbirth, and over 73 million induced abortions
occur annually, of which 45% are unsafe, the vast majority in low- and
middle-income countries.
In many countries,
young people—especially girls—continue to face systemic barriers to accessing
comprehensive sexuality education and adolescent-friendly health services,
undermining their autonomy and well-being.
In Brazil, we have made significant strides over the past
decades.
The country’s Unified Health System (SUS) has played a
critical role in expanding access to maternal and reproductive health services,
including free family planning, prenatal care, and safe delivery services.
Brazil’s National Policy for Comprehensive Women’s Health Care and the Stork
Network (Rede Cegonha), launched in 2011, have aimed to ensure a continuum of
care for women before, during, and after pregnancy.
These initiatives represent the kind of people-centered,
rights-based approaches we need more of globally.
Yet the work is far from over.
Despite improvements in access to care, Brazil continues to
face deep inequalities. Maternal mortality remains disproportionately high
among Black, Indigenous, and low-income women.
Unsafe abortions
persist as a major public health issue, particularly in regions where access to
legal services is limited or stigmatized.
Adolescents—especially
in rural areas and marginalized communities—often encounter barriers to sexual
and reproductive health information, including fear, judgment, and lack of
confidentiality.
In 2024, the Brazilian government launched the Alyne
Network, a restructuring strategy for the former Rede Cegonha, whose goal is to
reduce maternal mortality by 25 per cent in the country.
In addition to
expanding actions focused on maternal and child health, with an investment of
R$400 million in 2024 and R$1 billion in 2025, the new program seeks to reduce
maternal mortality among black women by 50 per cent by 2027.
The initiative pays tribute to the young black woman Alyne
Pimentel, who died at the age of 28, while pregnant and the victim of medical
negligence.
The young woman's case led Brazil to become the first
country condemned for maternal death by the Global Human Rights System
worldwide.
The CPD offers a pivotal opportunity to galvanize political
will and place SRHR at the center of health and development agendas—not just in
Brazil, but globally.
As governments assess
progress on the Programme of Action of the International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD), it is essential that they reaffirm the full
spectrum of SRHR as non-negotiable and indivisible from broader development
goals.
Investing in SRHR yields powerful dividends. For every
dollar spent on modern contraceptive methods, governments can save up to $3 in
maternal and newborn health care costs.
Women and girls who can make decisions about their bodies
and reproductive lives are more likely to finish school, participate in the
workforce, and contribute to economic growth.
In fact, evidence shows that fulfilling the unmet need for
contraception alone could prevent 70,000 maternal deaths annually and reduce
unintended pregnancies by over 70 per cent.
Moreover, SRHR is a gateway to gender equality, resilience, and social inclusion.
It is also a matter of justice. For populations pushed to
the margins—people of color, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQIA+ communities, people
with disabilities—SRHR is too often the frontline of discrimination.
In Brazil, we have
seen how the lack of culturally sensitive care and structural racism in health
services deepen health disparities.
Addressing these inequities demands intersectional policies
and intentional investments in inclusive systems of care.
Brazil has the tools—and the responsibility—to lead. Through
its National Commission on Population and Development, Brazil is working to
align national priorities of population issues with the Sustainable Development
Goals, including SDG 3 on health and well-being and SDG 5 on gender equality.
But this leadership must be mirrored and matched globally.
At this year’s CPD, we call on all countries to reaffirm
SRHR as a core component of universal health coverage and the right to health;
expand funding for integrated, rights-based sexual and reproductive health
services; ensure youth-led participation and accountability in policy-making
processes; and protect human rights defenders and health providers from
discrimination and violence.
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health
(PMNCH) and National Commission on Population and Development of Brazil stand
united in this call.
SRHR is not a siloed
issue—it is central to health, equity, and the full realization of human potential.
In a world shaped by crisis—whether conflict, climate
change, or pandemics—we must not lose sight of the simple truth: When people,
especially women and girls, have control over their own bodies, they build
stronger communities, healthier economies, and a more just world.
Let CPD 2025 be remembered as the moment we put people
first—by putting SRHR at the heart of our global commitments.
Dr. Richarlls Martins is President of National Commission on Population and Development of Brazil (CNPD). Mr. Rajat Khosla is the Executive Director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH).
