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The Future We Want
As a result of the largest meeting convened by the UN - Rio+20, Heads of State, NGOs and Civil Society, business and industry representatives agreed to terms of a consensus statement in June of 2012. Your professional organization, AAHE, joined 1,500 other NGOs at this notable meeting. Nearly 1,300,000 people worldwide joined Sustainable Dialogues providing input to guide deliberations by world leaders. This level of citizen engagement was unprecedented!
The document includes specific actions to enhance population health and educational opportunities. It is encouraging to note emphases compatible with aims of health promotion and education, including a call for universal health coverage and access to reproductive health care, prevention and treatment of HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCD), not now available in all States. Excerpts from several sections illustrate call to action.
Section 138
We are convinced that action on the social and environmental determinants of health, both for the poor and the vulnerable and the entire population, is important to create inclusive, equitable, economically productive and healthy societies. We call for the full realization of the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Section 139
We also recognize the importance of universal health coverage to enhancing health, social cohesion and sustainable human and economic development. We pledge to strengthen health systems towards the provision of equitable universal coverage.
Section 140
We commit to redoubling efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and to eliminate mother to child transmission of HIV as well as to renewing and strengthening the fight against malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases.
Section 141
We commit to strengthen health systems toward the provision of equitable, universal coverage and promote affordable access to prevention, treatment, care and support related to NCDs, especially cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
Section 143
We call for further collaboration and cooperation at national and international levels to strengthen health systems through increased health financing, recruitment, development, training and retention of the health work force, improved distribution and access to safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines, vaccines and medical technologies, and through improving health infrastructure.
Section 145
We emphasize the need for the provision of universal access to reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health and the integration of reproductive health in national strategies and programmes.
Section 146
We commit to reduce maternal and child mortality, and to improve the health of women, men, youth and children...We will work actively to ensure that health systems provide the necessary information and health services addressing the sexual and reproductive health of women, including working towards universal access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable modern methods of family planning, as this is essential for women's health and advancing gender equality.
NGO and Civil Society pledged to continue an inclusive process of collaboration beyond Rio, acting together to promote attainment of Millennium Development Goals. These actors stress the importance of health outcomes as part of accountable and sustainable development.
For more information download a pdf copy of the Rio+20 Health Cluster Statement & please contact your AAHE representatives to NGO/DPI of the U.N., Brian F. Geiger (bgeiger@uab.edu) and Bill Potts-Datema (pottsdatema@gmail.com).