ICPD goals and targets worth revisiting in the context of health sector reforms.

AT the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994 countries endorsed a Programme of Action containing a broad range of goals and targets in the broad area of sexual and reproductive health. In 1996 the World Health Organization (WHO) organised an interagency technical process that led to the selection of 15 global indicators for monitoring reproductive health targets to which two additional ones were later added in order to include HIV/AIDS. A five-year review and appraisal of progress in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action took place in 1999 (ICPD + 5) and culminated in a Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in July 1999 which identified key actions needed for further implementation of the Programme of Action and specific targets for measuring progress towards ICPD goals. The 17 WHO indicators shown in the left-hand column of Box 1 are worth revisiting regularly to check whether countries are meeting the targets set and also for assessing the potential and actual impact of health sector reforms on sexual and reproductive services in their countries. The goals and targets related to those indicators listed in the right-hand column can be found in the ICPD Programme of Action and the Key Actions for their further implementation. (excerpt)