By Jennifer Pope, VP, Sexual and Reproductive Health, HIV, and TB, PSI
As we come together for this International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), we have an opportunity to collectively reflect on key questions critical to achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights:
- How do we break down barriers standing between people and their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)?
- How do we support health providers to deliver quality, empathetic care?
- How do we expand our definition of health systems to include self-care… and then build those systems including digital solutions to be responsive, equitable and accountable to the people and communities we serve?
And, perhaps most importantly, how do we achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) that is inclusive of SRHR needs?
Individual people – their unique needs and lived experiences – are at the center of these questions, and our collective work to find sustainable SRHR solutions. Through PSI’s FP2030 commitment, we have pledged to innovate and scale person-centered solutions that enable 100M people to make full, free, and informed sexual and reproductive health choices throughout their life course. Core to our approach is #PeoplePowered healthcare, and why this ICFP issue of Impact centers on how #PeoplePowered solutions can help get us to UHC, and beyond.
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By Dorine Irankunda, SRH Senior Technical Advisor, Quality of Care , PSI
#PeoplePowered healthcare necessitates stronger, resilient and inclusive health systems that uplift the voices, needs and experiences of the people and communities we serve. It supports us to go beyond traditional problem-based, vertical strategies and take a holistic approach to meeting people’s needs.
As this Impact underscores, to get #PeoplePowered, we must disrupt the status quo. SRHR movers and shakers—including ICFP and A360 youth trailblazers, ICFP’s Dr. Jose “Oying” Rimon II, Director of the International Steering Committee, Ouagadougou Partnership’s Director, Marie Ba, Director, Fos Feminista’s Fadekemi Akinfaderin, Chief Advocacy Officer, CIFF’s Faustina Fynn-Nyame, Africa Executive Director, PSI Ethiopia’s Metsehate Ayenekulu, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Director, UNFPA’s Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, and PSI Uganda’s Dr. Lillian Sekabembe, Deputy Country Representative, among so many others, probe us to consider how.
Specifically, what will it take to…
- Build and implement strong client feedback mechanisms, including new ways of measuring and evaluating human-centered design programs to keep us accountable to people’s experiences of care?
- Truly listen to people, including the powerhouse youth revolutionizing SRHR’s future?
- Equip healthcare professionals to understand and integrate person-centered care, especially as providers support people who choose self-care?
- Improve health system responsiveness and accountability to people and their communities like embracing task-shifting, client feedback loops and community engagement to increase SRH access?
- Leverage the private sector to deliver on public health system goals and create more seamless linkages across sectors?
- Shape policies and strengthen resources to scale self-care practices?
- Use technology and digital solutions as a key tool within the public health system to drive decisions and reach people with critical information and services?
- Evolve funding models – including local-led feminist approaches—to deliver on our promise to quality, rights-based and inclusive care – for everyone, everywhere?
As these authors share, we can and will achieve UHC if we invest in #PeoplePowered health solutions and systems. This #ICFP2022, let’s chat how.
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This article is a part of PSI’s ICFP 2022 Impact Magazine. Explore the magazine here.
