H.9
Existence of a health policy or programmes compliant with international standards for the right to health of indigenous peoples, including sexual and reproductive rights.

Definition:

Existence of health policies or programmes, including sexual and reproductive rights that explicitly promote collective rights.

Disaggregation:

At national and subnational levels.

Notes:

The dimensions of compliance with international standards on collective rights are: ensuring universal and quality access to health care for the indigenous population; the provision of intercultural health services, particularly sexual and reproductive health services; implementation of preventive and informative actions with cultural and linguistic relevance; promotion and reinforcement of traditional indigenous practices integrated into the national health system; participation by indigenous peoples in health management; existence of health information systems capable of capturing the morbidity and mortality profiles of indigenous peoples, and the budget allocation according to the requirements. Accordingly, to develop the methodology for this indicator, the following at least must be agreed: (1) what criteria will be used to decide whether the policy meets the standard in each of the dimensions mentioned; (2) although there is an indicator that suggests two alternatives —“exists” and “does not exist”— possibly at least three options should be considered (“does not exist”, “partially complies” or “fully complies with standards”) and/or an index on the subject should be constructed. Agreements on these issues should be reached in conjunction with indigenous peoples’ organizations.

Related Instruments

Type
Qualitative
Priority Measures

B.7 - Boys, girls, adolescents and young people

7
Guarantee for all boys, girls, adolescents and young people, without any form of discrimination, the chance to live a life free from poverty and violence, and to enjoy protection and exercise of their human rights, a range of opportunities and access to health, education and social protection.

B.12 - Sexual health and reproductive health

12
Implement comprehensive, timely, good-quality sexual health and reproductive health programmes for adolescents and young people, including youth-friendly sexual health and reproductive health services with a gender, human rights, intergenerational and intercultural perspective, which guarantee access to safe and effective modern contraceptive methods, respecting the principles of confidentiality and privacy, to enable adolescents and young people to exercise their sexual rights and reproductive rights, to have a responsible, pleasurable and healthy sex life, avoid early and unwanted pregnancies, the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and to take free, informed and responsible decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive life and the exercise of their sexual orientation.

C.26 - Adequate health policies

26
Bring health policies into line with the challenges of the varied and changing epidemiological profile arising from ageing and the epidemiological transition, reinforcing the fight to eradicate communicable diseases and implementing actions for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases traditionally referred to as non-communicable, but now known to be strongly influenced by conditions of social and economic vulnerability in the early years of life, and ensure that these policies take into account gender, age, regional, ethnic and socioeconomic specificities.

D.37 - Universal access to quality sexual and reproductive health services

37
Guarantee universal access to good-quality sexual health and reproductive health services, bearing in mind the specific needs of men and women, adolescents and young people, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, older persons and persons with disabilities, with special attention to vulnerable persons, persons living in rural and remote areas and to the promotion of citizen participation in the follow-up to commitments.

D.40 - Eliminate causes of maternal morbidity and mortality

40
Eliminate preventable cases of maternal morbidity and mortality, including, within the set of integrated benefits of sexual health and reproductive health services, measures for preventing and avoiding unsafe abortion, including sexual health and reproductive health education, access to modern and effective contraceptive methods, counselling and comprehensive care in cases of unwanted and unaccepted pregnancy, as well as comprehensive post-abortion care, where necessary, on the basis of a risk- and harm-reduction strategy.

D.43 - Comprehensive health care in the reproductive process for all women

43
Ensure that all women have effective access to comprehensive health care during the reproductive process and specifically to skilled, institutional, compassionate obstetric care and to the best possible maternal health services during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, as well as to services that include the termination of pregnancy in those cases where the law provides for such services, and guarantee universal access to assisted fertility treatments.

G.78 - Decentralization, deconcentration and participatory planning

78
Expand and improve the processes of decentralization, deconcentration and participatory planning at the subnational and local levels, with emphasis on availability, accessibility and the quality of basic services, education and health, including sexual health and reproductive health and the prevention of violence against girls, adolescents and women.

H.85 - Indigenous peoples rights

85
Respect and implement the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as Convention No. 169 of the International Labour Organization on indigenous and tribal peoples —and call on those countries that have not already done so to sign it and ratify it— adapting legal frameworks and formulating the policies necessary for their implementation, with the full participation of these peoples, including indigenous peoples that live in cities.

H.87 - Traditional medicine and indigenous health practices.

87
Guarantee indigenous peoples’ right to health, including sexual rights and reproductive rights, and their right to their own traditional medicines and health practices, especially as regards reducing maternal and child mortality considering their socio-territorial and cultural specificities as well as the structural factors that hinder the exercise of this right.
Topic
H. Indigenous people