The Johannesburg Business School (JBS), the School’s Centre for Public Policy and African Studies, hosted a webinar on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) at the Heart of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on Thursday, 5 March 2026.
Facilitated by our Executive Dean, Prof Alistair Mokoena, the session brought together global practitioners, academics, civil society members, and development partners for an important conversation on how SRH can be protected and prioritised within evolving UHC reforms.
Throughout the discussion, it was made clear that SRH is not a peripheral component of health systems; it is a central test of whether UHC truly delivers equity, financial protection, and high-quality primary health care. While many countries have made progress toward UHC, essential SRH services remain inconsistently integrated into benefit packages. This creates gaps in access, affordability, and service quality, particularly for women, adolescents, and marginalised communities.
A key message centred on the centrality of women, children, and adolescents in the SRH agenda. Speakers emphasised that without deliberate protection of these groups, UHC reforms risk leaving behind those who rely most on accessible, high-quality, and rights-based care. Ensuring meaningful access, not just theoretical coverage, requires strong financing, high-quality services, and systems that remove barriers disproportionately affecting women and young people. The dialogue highlighted that advancing SRH is not only a health priority but a commitment to dignity, equity, and opportunity for those whose well-being shapes the future of our societies.
Speakers explored the policy and financing choices that determine whether SRH becomes genuinely accessible. These included the importance of explicit benefit packages, resilient supply chains, better procurement systems, and strong data and accountability mechanisms that track not only coverage but also real service uptake. Participants also highlighted that embedding SRH within UHC is both a technical and political undertaking, requiring clear prioritisation, sustained investment, and a commitment to rights-based and evidence-informed approaches.
Another strong theme was the role of collective action. The discussion emphasised that SRH progress depends on deeper collaboration across government, parliaments, civil society, academia, professional bodies, communities, and development partners. As global funding tightens and fiscal pressures increase, joint efforts and smarter resource use become even more essential.
Executive Dean Prof Alistair Mokoena concluded the webinar with three takeaways:
- It is possible to protect and prioritise SRH within UHC reforms, even in constrained fiscal environments, when SRH is treated as essential rather than optional.
- Evidence-informed, rights-based approaches are crucial for reaching those who remain left behind.
- Sustained, collective action is the only pathway to translating commitments into meaningful, lasting improvements in the lives of women, children, and adolescents.
JBS remains dedicated to fostering these high-level dialogues, ensuring that as health systems evolve, they do so with a heart for equity and a sharp eye on policy excellence.
