Universal health coverage may not be enough to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health beyond 2014

With the expiration of the Millennium Development Goals looming at the end of 2015, governments have set themselves the task of defining a new set of sustainable development goals for the years beyond. This debate has major implications for how global public health will be addressed moving forward - particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights, which are the centrepiece of the International Conference on Population and Development agenda. One idea that has generated significant attention is universal health coverage. Universal health coverage is one, among many tools, that can help to address the sexual and reproductive health needs of women, adolescents and other marginalised groups such as migrants, people with disabilities, people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, sex workers and people who use drugs. However, a singular focus on universal health coverage is not likely to be sufficient to meet these needs; in fact, recent experiences have demonstrated that it often falls short. Without addressing the full range of factors that affect health, including social determinants of health, we will not be able to achieve the development goals of ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health or reducing preventable related mortalities and morbidities.