Dear HIFA colleagues,
Below are extracts from an editorial in the December 2024 issue of the WHO Bulletin, written by two WHO HQ staff at the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health, extract of a related paper in the same issue of the journal, and six comments from me.
'The papers in this theme issue reiterate the message that sexual health and well-being are essential to overall health over the entire life course
'As global understanding of sexual health and well-being still appears to be largely disease focused,10 a broader, people-centred focus on sexual empowerment and social and commercial determinants of sexual health is needed. Such an evolution must also support the integration of high-quality, accessible, affordable, available and acceptable self-care options for sexual health. Self-care options can be provided through telehealth, including for underserved communities...
'Building a strong evidence base is an important tool to fight misinformation and political opposition that have long hindered progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights more broadly, and sexual health and well-being in particular, with damaging effects on societies, individuals and marginalized communities. WHO could play a vital role in establishing a global sexual and reproductive health and rights information hub, offering fact-based resources. Initiatives could include myth-busting campaigns on social media, and partnerships with schools to integrate comprehensive sexuality education. Competency-based training for health and care workers on inclusive communication methods can further support efforts to reach diverse populations. By fostering informed, open conversations around sexual health and well-being, such initiatives can build trust and dispel harmful misconceptions...'
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11601176/?report=classic
In a paper in the same issue, the authors say:
'WHO has established a Sexual Health and Well-being Advisory Group, aimed at broadening the approach to a sexual health and well-being agenda. As members, our first step is to gather a knowledge base anchored in diverse experiences that link sexual well-being with human development and rights... We invite the global communities of practice, civil society partners, local and regional networks and policy advocacy champions to shape and support these efforts.'
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11601189/?report=classic
COMMENTS (NPW):
1. It seems likely that the 'global sexual and reproductive health and rights information hub' alluded to in the editorial and the 'knowledge base anchored in diverse experiences that link sexual well-being with human development and rights' in the paper are one and the same. However, I couldn't find a direct reference from one paper to the other.
2. The second paper suggests 'our first step is to gather a knowledge base', but I would suggest a preceding question is to ask "what are the sexual health information needs of different users in different countries", "where are the most important gaps in meeting those needs?" and "who is best placed to help to address these gaps?".
3. The role of WHO in meeting information needs is clearly important, but what is most important is that WHO focuses on those activities that it is best (or even uniquely) positioned to deliver as compared with other organisations. This in itself is a topic for debate, but I think particularly of WHO's role (1) in developing international guidelines and (2) its role in advocacy and convening stakeholders. In the first role, WHO is truly exceptional, with a rigorous evidence synthesis approach that provides evidence-informed approaches for consideration and adaptation by member states. In its second role, WHO has not yet delivered its full potential. The recent HIFA Consultation Report 'Towards universal access to reliable healthcare information' has demonstrated consensus across the global evidence ecosystem that WHO should explicitly champion the goal of universal access and that it should convene stakeholders to develop a global strategy, with support from HIFA and partners.
4. The second paper says: 'We invite the global communities of practice... to shape and support these efforts'. HIFA stands ready to support these efforts with a new Project, using its unique multistakeholder thematic discussion approach to explore the issues in depth, particularly around the core challenge of ensuring that every person has access to the reliable healthcare information they need to protect their own health and the health of others.
5. A HIFA Project on Sexual Healthcare Information, with multiple deepdive discussions and complementary webinars, could be implemented in early 2025 at very low cost: www.hifa.org/projects
6. Such a Project could be designed in such a way that it helps to fulfil the wider objectives of the 3-year WHO-HIFA Collaboration Plan 2025-2027, which we anticipate will be approved by the WHO Executive Board on 29 January 2025.
Sexual and reproductive health is especially well represented among HIFA's 400+ supporting organisations and we look forward to collaborate with them to help address the above challenges.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
