What do education, economic growth, and climate change have to do with Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)? How can the SRHR community leverage linkages to non-health sectors, to advance programming in family planning and other SRHR topics? How can we move beyond the development of guideline documents to implement and operationalize evidence-based programming in SRHR?

In July 2023, the WHO IBP Network and Share-Net International hosted an international side event “Thinking Outside The Docs: Non-Health Sector Linkages across Education, Economic Empowerment, Climate Change and Family Planning/Sexual and Reproductive Health” at Women Deliver 2023 to discuss innovative approaches and identify opportunities for multisector collaborations that support SRH. More than 100 participants gathered to contribute to eye-opening discussions about how we can look beyond health, to promote and protect health. Service delivery in SRHR is naturally multi-sectoral and intersectional and interventions should acknowledge these diverse approaches when addressing the health needs of individuals. Understanding cultural context, norms and community priorities are critical to ensuring that multi-sectoral approaches are implemented. Organizations investing in climate and other non-health focused topics must be included in these discussions to ensure common goals and objectives are understood and met.

Read our 3-pager Thinking Outside the Docs

Authors: WHO IBP Network & Share-Net International, 2023