Health for All means ALL

A joint statement on ensuring access to health services for LGBTI people

 

On Monday 23 September 2019, Heads of State and governments will meet at the United Nations General Assembly for the first UN High Level Meeting (HLM) on universal health coverage (UHC). One of the key outcomes of the UN HLM is a joint Political Declaration, reflecting consensus among 193 Member States that it is imperative to achieve health for all. Tragically, the declaration will be silent about the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people.

In signing up to the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, UN Member States agreed that “no one must be left behind”. Upholding this principle requires countries to go beyond general pledges of support for UHC and commit to investments and activities expressly intended for LGBTI people and other communities who are the furthest back and in greatest need of assistance.

We believe universal health coverage is unattainable unless LGBTI people everywhere can access quality, affordable, evidence-based, comprehensive health services, free from stigma and discrimination. If LGBTI people are ignored and sidelined in country commitments for universal health coverage, the world will fail in its promises to leave no one behind.

In too many parts of the world, LGBTI people are treated as criminals and are the victims of high rates of violence due to laws that criminalize consensual same-sex behavior, nonconforming gender identity and expression, HIV non-disclosure, exposure, and transmission, sex work and drug use. Eliminating disparities in LGBTI health due to criminalization and discrimination requires governments to promote equity and human rights, in tandem with increasing their investments in – and focus on – people who have the least access to health services. Critically, this includes ensuring access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights information, services and commodities, while addressing specific legal and social barriers for the LGBTI community.

Echoing and building on MPact's 'Put the Last Mile First in Universal Health Coverage', we call on all heads of state  and leaders in government, health, civil society and private sector to express their commitment to ensuring LGBTI people’s access to health services, as an essential part of achieving universal health coverage. Accessible services should include those for sexual, reproductive and mental health, as well as substance use and gender-affirming care.

To lay the groundwork for investing in LGBTI health, governments should:

1.    Disaggregate health data by sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics, while ensuring the privacy and safety of all client data.

2.    Ensure that gender affirmation and sex reassignment services are essential services.

3.    Fund community-led health services.

4.    Ensure laws and policies clearly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and that there are policy mechanisms at the country level for redress for those suffering from discrimination in health care settings.  

 

Putting LGBTI people at the core of services means meaningfully engaging their community-based organizations and networks. LGBTI communities should be involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health services. LGBTI communities are also best-positioned to hold service providers and policy makers accountable to their needs

We urge civil society and other HLM participants to share this statement with their Permanent Missions to the UN in New York (see contact information here), Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Health, and other stakeholders around the world to ensure that governments remain committed to a truly inclusive version of UHC.

We thank the organizers and co-facilitators of the HLM on UHC, including H.E. Mr. António Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, for their commitments to achieving health for all. Dr Tedros in particular, has made achieving universal health coverage a central part of his work. 

We raise our voices for this issue in honor of all the community members, advocates, and healthcare providers tirelessly championing LGBTI health and rights around the world, too often under challenging conditions. 

Health for All means ALL.

To sign this statement, please submit your name, organization and email below. Please note that by providing these details, you agree to being contacted by email about this statement and will be publicly listed as a signatory, including in outreach to journalists. 

 Our growing list of signatories include: 

1. Africa Japan Forum
2. African Network of Adolescents and Young Persons Development (ANAYD)
3. Afrihealth Optonet Association
4. Afrique Avenir
5. AIDS Council of New South Wales (ACON)
6. ALCS Maroc
7. Alliance for Public Health
8. Alliance of Queer Egyptian Organizations
9. American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
10. Amnesty International
11. Apcaso
12. Asia Safe Abortion Partnership
    
13. Association de lutte contre le sida
14. Association Tunisienne de Prévention Positive
15. Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
16. Australian Lesbian Medical Association
17. Balanced Stewardship Development Association (BALSDA)
18. COC Nederland
19. Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM)
20. Femmes-Santé-Développement (FESADE)
21. French Association of Psychiatrists in Private Practice
22. Friends of Diversity
23. Fund for Global Human Rights
24. Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK)
25. Gay and Lesbian Network, South Africa
26. Global Health Strategies
27. Global Health Visions
28. Global Mental Health Peer Network
29. Groupe de Recherche Action en Santé (GRAS)
30. Haiyya Foundation
    
31. Health Options for Young Men on HIV/AIDS/STI (HOYMAS)
32. Helem
33. Hope for Youth Development
    
34. House of Guramayle (HoG)
35. Impact Santé Afrique
36. India HIV/AIDS Alliance
37. Instituto para el Desarrollo Humano - Bolivia
38. International Planned Parenthood Federation
39. International Women’s Health Coalition
40. International Youth Alliance for Family Planning
41. Intersex Society of Zambia
42. Ipas Development Foundation
43. Jinsiangu
44. John Mathenge Foundation
45. Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association
46. Love Matters India
47. Masaka KP HIV prevention and support Organization
48. Medical IMPACT
49. MPact Global Action for Gay Men's Health & Rights
50. Nalane for Reproductive Justice
51. National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders
52. National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
53. National LGBTI Health Alliance
54. Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers Association
55. Northern Territory Aids & Hepatitis Council Inc.
56. Outright International
57. Planet Ally
58. PCMH Restore Health
59. Public Health Innovations
60. Réseau de la Société Civile d’Appui et de soutien à la Vaccination et au RSS en Mauritanie
61. Rural Aid Foundation
62. Salud para Todos Argentina
63. Sonke Gender Justice
64. Swasti
65. The Human Rights Council of Australia
66. The Naz Foundation (India) Trust
67. The Pacific Human Rights Initiative
68. The Tunisian Center for Public Health
69. Thorne Harbour Health
70. Tombo A Well Earth Rural Areas of the Public of Sierra Leone
71. Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet)
72. Treatment Action Campaign
73. Triangle Project
74. Twenty10 inc. GLCS NSW
75. Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF)
76. UHAI EASHRI
77. Ukana West 2 Community Based Health Insurance (CHBI)
78. Updating medicina del lavoro
79. WA AIDS Council
80. Zimbabwe Men Against HIV and AIDS