HRP Alliance Regional Hubs: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through Localized SRHR Research

Introduction: A Framework for Global Health and Sustainable Development

Evidence-based research is fundamental to the development of effective policies and interventions that improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) Alliance, coordinated by the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction, serves as a critical mechanism for building sustainable research capacity. Through its seven regional hubs, the HRP Alliance empowers local researchers and institutions, directly contributing to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This initiative aligns with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering knowledge, collaboration, and context-specific solutions to global health challenges.

Analysis of Regional Hub Contributions to the SDGs

Since 2017, the HRP Alliance hubs have implemented targeted initiatives including training, mentorship, and institutional support. The following reports on seven hubs illustrate how locally-led research has driven global progress on the SDG agenda.

1. The Americas Hub: Brazil

   • Activity: In response to the Venezuelan migration crisis, the hub at the Campinas Reproductive Health Research Center (CEMICAMP) trained researchers to investigate the SRHR needs of displaced populations.
   • Outcome: The research addressed a critical data gap concerning access to healthcare, HIV treatment, and sexual violence, leading to a more human-centered understanding of migrant needs.
   • SDG Alignment:
     • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Enhanced understanding of health needs to improve service delivery for vulnerable groups.
     • SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Focused directly on the health and rights of marginalized migrant and displaced populations.

2. Francophone Africa Hub: Burkina Faso

   • Activity: The hub at the Health Science Research Institute (IRSS) is creating a regional data and training center, which has produced 50 Master’s and PhD graduates.
   • Outcome: These graduates are leading public health research on postpartum contraception and maternal care, informing national and regional health strategies.
   • SDG Alignment:
     • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Generated evidence to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
     • SDG 4 (Quality Education): Built sustainable, high-level research capacity within West and Central Africa.
     • SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Strengthened regional health research institutions.

3. Anglophone Africa Hub: Ghana

   • Activity: The hub at the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health launched a joint master’s programme with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
   • Outcome: Graduates now lead national SRHR units and contribute to major studies on adolescent maternal care and quality of services.
   • SDG Alignment:
     • SDG 3 & 5 (Good Health and Well-being & Gender Equality): Advanced research on adolescent health and quality of care, crucial for gender equality.
     • SDG 4 (Quality Education): Developed a critical mass of skilled SRHR researchers.
     • SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Exemplified successful North-South academic collaboration.

4. Values Clarification Hub: Kenya

   • Activity: The hub at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) developed a training model for researchers and health workers to address personal biases on sensitive topics like abortion, sexuality, and HIV.
   • Outcome: The “values clarification and attitude transformation” model is being adopted across Africa to reduce stigma and improve care.
   • SDG Alignment:
     • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Aims to improve access to non-judgmental health services.
     • SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Addresses barriers to SRHR services that disproportionately affect women and girls.

5. Eastern Mediterranean Hub: Pakistan

   • Activity: The hub at Aga Khan University collaborated directly with hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic to train researchers and influence maternal care practices, including the adoption of tools to detect maternal sepsis.
   • Outcome: This adaptive, hospital-linked approach has become a model for emergency-responsive research.
   • SDG Alignment:
     • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Directly improved maternal care and health system resilience during a crisis.
     • SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Strengthened institutional capacity for research and response in emergencies.

6. South-East Asia Hub: Thailand

   • Activity: The hub at Khon Kaen University focused on building research capacity in Myanmar, a fragile setting, training a core group of researchers.
   • Outcome: Their research on respectful maternity care and cervical cancer screening is shaping maternal health policies to improve care quality and access to services.
   • SDG Alignment:
     • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Improved maternal health policies and access to life-saving cancer screening.
     • SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Promoted respectful maternity care and reduced mistreatment during childbirth.
     • SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Generated vital health evidence in a fragile and underserved context.

7. Western Pacific Hub: Viet Nam

   • Activity: The hub at Hanoi Medical University established a dedicated SRHR track within its International Master of Public Health programme.
   • Outcome: Graduates with strengthened skills in data analysis and research are addressing issues like adolescent health and gender-based violence, with many now working in national health institutions.
   • SDG Alignment:
     • SDG 4 (Quality Education): Equipped a new generation of public health professionals with specialized SRHR skills.
     • SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Focused research on gender-based violence and the health of adolescent girls.
     • SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Contributed skilled personnel to national health institutions, including the Ministry of Health.

Strategic Approaches and Concluding Remarks

Building Sustainable, Regionally-Led Research Ecosystems

The HRP Alliance hubs demonstrate a diversity of strategic approaches, from formal academic pathways to practical implementation research. However, they share a common objective that is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:

• Fostering Local Ownership: By training and mentoring researchers locally, the hubs ensure that research is relevant, responsive to regional needs, and sustainable.
• Strengthening Health Systems: Locally-led research provides health systems with the specific evidence needed to improve SRHR services effectively.
• Upholding Rights and Dignity: Ultimately, this model strengthens the capacity of countries to uphold the health, rights, choices, and dignity of their populations, underpinning the universal promise of the SDGs to leave no one behind.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues related to sexual and reproductive health, research capacity building, education, gender equality, and international partnerships. These themes directly connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire initiative of the HRP Alliance is centered on improving sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through research. The article explicitly mentions maternal care, HIV, postpartum contraception, maternal sepsis, cervical cancer screening, and access to health services, all of which are core components of SDG 3.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article heavily emphasizes building sustainable research capacity, which is achieved through education and training. It details the creation of Master’s and PhD programs, fellowships, mentorship, and specialized training courses for researchers and health workers. For example, it mentions the joint master’s programme in Ghana and the dedicated SRHR track in Viet Nam’s Master of Public Health programme.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  Sexual and reproductive health and rights are fundamental to achieving gender equality. The article addresses issues that disproportionately affect women and girls, such as maternal health, gender-based violence, and access to contraception and abortion services. The focus on upholding “people’s rights, choices and dignity” directly supports the empowerment of women and girls.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The work of the HRP Alliance hubs addresses inequalities by focusing on vulnerable and marginalized populations. The article highlights research on the SRHR needs of displaced populations (Venezuelan migrants in Brazil) and efforts to generate evidence in fragile settings like Myanmar, aiming to close data gaps and ensure health services are responsive to the needs of all.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The HRP Alliance itself is a model of global partnership. It is described as a collaboration coordinated by the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP), bringing together seven regional hubs, academic institutions (like the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), and local researchers. This structure exemplifies North-South and South-South cooperation to build capacity and achieve common health goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the activities and outcomes described in the article, several specific SDG targets can be identified.

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio. The research in Burkina Faso on maternal care, in Pakistan on detecting maternal sepsis, and in Thailand on respectful maternity care directly contributes to this target.
   • Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The article mentions research on HIV treatment for displaced populations in Brazil and training on HIV-related values in Kenya.
   • Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes. This is a central theme, supported by research on postpartum contraception (Burkina Faso), cervical cancer screening (Thailand), and access to care for sensitive issues like abortion (Kenya).
   • Target 3.c: Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries. The entire article is a testament to this target, detailing how the HRP Alliance empowers “local researchers and institutions through training, mentorship, fellowships and institutional support.”

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The article provides concrete examples, such as the “50 Master’s and PhD graduates” in Burkina Faso, the joint master’s programme in Ghana, and the SRHR track within the International Master of Public Health programme in Viet Nam.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The research mentioned in Brazil on “sexual violence” among displaced populations and in Viet Nam on “gender-based violence” directly addresses this target.
   • Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. This target is reinforced by the article’s overarching goal to improve SRHR services, uphold rights and choices, and conduct research on sensitive topics like abortion and sexuality.

4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people. The research in Brazil on the “SRHR needs of displaced populations” from the Venezuelan migration crisis contributes to understanding and addressing the health dimension of migration, helping to create more “human-centred” responses.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.9: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals. The HRP Alliance model, which provides “training, mentorship, fellowships and institutional support” to build “lasting, regionally-led research ecosystems,” is a direct implementation of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides several explicit and implied indicators that can measure progress.

• Indicators for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

  • Implied: Increased access to and quality of maternal care, measured by the adoption of tools for detecting maternal sepsis (Pakistan) and the implementation of respectful maternity care policies (Thailand).
  • Implied: Increased access to SRHR services, measured by uptake of postpartum contraception (Burkina Faso) and cervical cancer screening rates (Thailand).
  • Implied: Improved health outcomes for vulnerable groups, measured by access to HIV treatment for displaced populations (Brazil).

• Indicators for SDG 4 (Quality Education)

  • Explicit: The number of trained researchers, such as the “50 Master’s and PhD graduates” from the hub in Burkina Faso.
  • Explicit: The establishment of new educational programs, such as the “joint master’s programme” in Ghana and the “dedicated SRHR track” in Viet Nam.
  • Explicit: Strengthened skills of graduates, who reported improved abilities in “data analysis, literature review and research presentation.”

• Indicators for SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

  • Implied: Reduction in stigma associated with SRHR issues, measured by the adoption of the “values clarification and attitude transformation training” model across Africa (Kenya).
  • Implied: Evidence-based policies to tackle gender-based violence, informed by research conducted by graduates of the program in Viet Nam.

• Indicators for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

  • Explicit: The closing of a “major data gap” on the SRHR needs of displaced populations, leading to a more informed and humane policy response (Brazil).

• Indicators for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

  • Explicit: The number of established regional research hubs (seven hubs mentioned).
  • Explicit: The creation of collaborative structures, such as the “regional data and training centre” in Burkina Faso and partnerships with international universities.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: who.int