Content Overview

This course gives participants an overview of sexual and reproductive health policy in its historical context, especially its changes and adaptations since the establishment of the Maternal Child Health programme by the World Health Organization in 1948, the ICPD, the MDGs and the agenda 2030 (SDGs). It introduces participants to the human rights approach to reproductive health as well as strategies, frameworks, and tools (developed e.g. by WHO, UN-AIDS or UNFPA) for improving and managing reproductive health in health systems with a special focus on appropriate indicators, planning processes, and service provision. It also addresses ethical issues and the relationship between religion and reproductive health. The course also looks at public private partnership or demand-based financing relevant to reproductive health and its challenges.

Course Topics

• Reproductive and sexual health and rights
• Financing models relevant to reproductive health and its challenges
• Ethical issues and relationship between religion and reproductive health
• The neglected SRH agenda: infertility, new family planning methods, male sexual health, health of vulnerable groups

Learning Objectives

At the end of the module students should be able to:

• Analyse Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) policy in its historical context, as well as the MDG/SDG context.
• Critically assess the challenges through the evaluation of evidence from SRH programmes and policies in specific settings as well as on global level
• Apply the necessary tools such as logframe matrix, structured evaluation technics and indicator development, based on the Donabedian dimensions for service quality required for reproductive health programme implementation
• Critically discuss neglected topics of the reproductive health agenda on local and global level