Project Syndicate: The Economic Imperative of Protecting Women’s Health
Anderson E. Stanciole, health economics adviser, and Federica Maurizio, health economics and SRHR analyst, both at the UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office

“…As countries in the Asia-Pacific region develop economically, there will be new opportunities to create more sustainable financing schemes for universal health coverage, including more domestic financing. While ensuring full sexual and reproductive health coverage will depend on broad changes affecting gender dynamics and religious and cultural norms, governments can begin to drive progress by expanding access to health services and increasing financial protection. … Improving the health of half the global population, and building societies that are truly inclusive, requires rethinking how health care is offered to women and girls. … To make health coverage truly universal, we must make sexual and reproductive health a priority” (5/15).