Brazil's rights-based model
One of the countries that has made notable progress in advancing the right to health through rights-based approaches is Brazil. Dr Ana Luiza Caldas, Brazil's Vice Minister of Health, shared how her country's community-based primary healthcare approach has strengthened universal health coverage. "For the past 35 years, we have focused on connecting with the people we serve. Listening to communities and understanding what people actually need helps us design responsive SRH programmes - like providing free condoms in schools and health units.
She stressed that access to quality healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. "Policies must be shaped by peoples needs. When we listen, we build trust and inclusion.
"Access to quality healthcare should never be a privilege - it is a human right," she re-emphasised. "By working in partnerships and staying close to the people, we can make that right real."
Long walk to gender justice
For Aysha Amin, Founder of Baithak (Challenging Taboo) Pakistan, the right to health remains a distant dream for women and girls in marginalised communities. "Despite SRHRJ being so crucial for everyone, especially young girls and women, it is still not a priority. This is not just a health issue - it is a gender justice issue," she said.
She highlighted how gender inequality and climate change intersect to compound vulnerability. In communities most affected by climate disasters, health systems collapse. Floods wash away medical facilities. Women give birth in unsafe, makeshift conditions. Adolescent girls manage menstruation without facilities for water, sanitation and hygiene - often under open skies, risking infections and gender-based violence. This is a serious violation of dignity and safety."
For Amin, the path forward requires centring the lived experiences of women and girls. "We need to create safe spaces where young women not only receive information but also reflect, question, and demand their rights. Building leadership among women and girls is essential so they can hold local governments accountable - especially in times of disaster."
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