Annual Donors Delivering for SRHR Report Reveals Trends in Global Funding for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Youths carry condoms to distribute during a community outreach in Meru County, Kenya. © Brian Otieno/DSW

(IN BRIEF) Global health NGO DSW has released its 2023 Donors Delivering for SRHR report, highlighting the state of global funding for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and related areas. The report shows that total funding for SRHR reached $12.1 billion in 2021, with a steady increase from 2019 to 2020. However, the proportion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) dedicated to SRHR declined in 2021 due to a higher increase in total ODA compared to specific SRHR funding. The United States is the largest SRHR donor, allocating over 16% of its ODA to SRHR, particularly focusing on sexually transmitted disease control and HIV/AIDS. Other notable donors include Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Luxembourg, allocating between 5.26% and 8.33% of their ODA to SRHR. However, major contributors like France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the EU allocate less than 2.62% of their ODA to SRHR, indicating a need for greater prioritization. DSW calls upon donors to prioritize SRHR to accelerate progress towards global health and gender equality. In 2021, the EU Institutions allocated only 1.79% of their ODA to SRHR, emphasizing the need for increased investments in this area.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRUSSELS, 29-Jun-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — DSW, a global health focused development NGO, is pleased to announce the publication of its 2023 Donors Delivering for SRHR report, providing valuable insights into the state of global funding for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Family Planning (FP), and Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (RMNCH). The Report tracks the total funding and the proportion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) dedicated to these crucial areas by OECD DAC donors. This year’s edition presents data from 2019 – 2021 (most recent data available) and as such reflects donor funding during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Donors’ total funding for SRHR experienced continued modest growth in 2021 totalling
12.1 billion USD, following a substantial increase from 2019 to 2020. SRHR disbursements as a percentage of all OECD DAC donors’ total ODA showed a significant rise from 2019 to 2020, but witnessed a decline in 2021. This can be attributed to the notably higher increase in total ODA compared to the increase specifically on SRHR. 

The United States stands out as the largest SRHR donor by far, both in total and relative terms, with over 16% of its ODA dedicated to SRHR. This commitment is driven by the nation’s strong support for sexually transmitted disease control, including the fight against HIV & AIDS. Other notable SRHR champions include Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Luxembourg, who allocated between 5.26% and 8.33% of their ODA to SRHR.

Regrettably, the report also indicates a disappointing trend: Several prominent donors still fail to prioritise SRHR in their international cooperation. This trend has been consistent over the years, particularly among major contributors like France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the EU, who need to step up their game to achieve a more significant impact. Their SRHR spending of less than 2.62% of ODA lags behind the commitments of smaller, yet determined, donors who disburse much larger shares of their ODA to SRHR. 

“The Donors Delivering for SRHR Report serves as a critical tool to monitor and evaluate global funding trends” said Lisa Goerlitz, Head of Brussels Office at DSW. “While it is encouraging to witness an overall increase in funding, we call upon donors to prioritise SRHR within their international cooperation efforts, so we can accelerate progress towards achieving global health and gender equality.” 

In 2021, the EU Institutions allocated only 1.79% of their ODA to SRHR. Looking at the commendable commitments to fostering and upholding SRHR in the EU’s international cooperation included in important policies such as the EU’s Gender Action Plan III, the first ever Youth Action Plan, and the recent Global Health Strategy, this figure is testament to the need for increased SRHR investments by the EU. 

Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, in a written message shared on the occasion of the Report launch said:

“Advancing SRHR is not easy. Amidst multiple challenges, limited resources, and deeply worrying regressive agendas of influential movements, we must uphold EU’s leadership […]. This is why we have launched the Team Europe Initiative on SRHR in Africa. Accountability and peer-review mechanisms, including the Donors Delivering for SRHR Report, are key in this regard.” 

To read the full report and gain more insights, please visit: donorsdelivering.report

The executive summary is available here.

Media Contact:

Giuseppe.Martone@dsw.org

About DSW

Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW) is an international development organisation, which focuses on the health, needs, and potential of the largest youth generation in history. Our objective is to empower young people, especially young women and girls, by creating demand for and access to youth-friendly health information and services, including modern contraceptives, and by securing the right to bodily autonomy. With offices in Europe and East Africa, we achieve this through a combination of youth-oriented programmes and gender transformative advocacy that also champions global health, including investments in research and innovation to fight poverty-related and neglected diseases. For more information visit: dsw.org/en/eu

SOURCE: DSW