Reproductive rights major hurdle to MDGs

Most of the countries are unlikely to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015 as sexual and reproductive rights have yet not been ensured in majority of the Asia Pacific countries including Bangladesh, observed an international conference yesterday.
The three-day 6th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights that entered second day yesterday suggested ensuring the rights to get closer to the MDGs by 2015.
The matter came into focus as Indonesian Health Minister Dr Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih presented the keynote paper, saying, “Regionally, Asia Pacific is home to over half the world's population, pointing at the need to come together for the achievement of the MDGs for the respect, protection, and fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the region”.
The minister said Indonesia will not be able to achieve the MDGs by 2015, particularly the goal to reduce its maternal mortality rate down to 102 from 228 per 100,000 live births.
Ensuring maternal and child health is one of the most important and challenging goals.
The maternal mortality rate in Bangladesh is currently about 300 per 100,000 live births, said sources at the conference.
The keynote presentation session held at Gadjah Mada University was followed by plenary session and daylong parallel sessions with discussions on topics related to sexual and reproductive health.
Another paper styled “The struggle to gain sexual rights of sexual minorities in Moslem communities (from an Islamic perspective)” was presented by Prof Dr Musdah Mulia, chairperson, Indonesian Conference on Religions for Peace. The professor proposed developing humanistic progressive Islamic interpretation for ensuring sexual and reproductive life to people irrespective of their sexual orientation.