Director

English

Dear Members, Partners, Colleagues, and Friends,

The past few weeks have been a time of reflection for me.

For decades, the reproductive health community has worked under conditions that would have defeated many other sectors. Our movement was not born into abundance. It grew in the face of stigma, chronic underfunding, and political views that deemed reproductive health expendable.

We have always had to do more with less. But in doing so, we have cultivated a culture that values collaboration, transparency, and collective action. As former UNFPA head Thoraya Obaid memorably noted*, “No one agency can do it alone. Commitment and partnership are essential.”

Over the years, through COVID-19 and other hardships, we have found new ways to keep our mission alive. But while it has never been easy for us, the challenges we face today are exceptionally challenging. A cooling of interest across some key donors escalated into crisis with the sudden, draconian reductions in U.S. funding. The implications for programs, partners, and the women and girls we serve are profound.

In moments like this, movements face a choice: (a) fragment under pressure, or (b) come together with renewed clarity and purpose.

While competition may be inevitable in the face of constrained funding, it cannot become the defining feature of our relationships with one another. If competition eclipses collaboration, we risk undermining the very movement we have worked so hard to build.

RHSC is founded on partnerships rooted in trust, exemplified in networks such as our Global Family Planning and Visibility Analytics Network – the VAN. The government of Rwanda has begun loading its self-financed shipments into the VAN system, a significant step taken in good faith, signaling its confidence in a shared platform developed by partners for the common good.

This is precisely the kind of relationship we must nurture: transparent, collaborative, and grounded in mutual trust, because women and girls have a right to benefit from high-quality, lifesaving supply data being shared with confidence. Our unflagging data specialists have carefully fostered this trust and confidence over the years and they protect it fiercely. As a result, the VAN maintained data quality and visibility for countries while GHSC-PSM closed out, and helped countries grasp the impact of USAID withdrawal and weather the crisis. (An overview of the VAN’s achievements will soon be available in its scorecard.)

So, as we navigate the crosscurrents of collaboration and competition, we would do well to remember that trust is a precious commodity, taking years to build, and it is our collective responsibility to protect it. I urge my fellow decision-makers to proceed with care, strengthening proven systems and reinforcing what is already serving us well in this turbulent landscape.

I write to you today with a sense of urgency. Across Africa and elsewhere, governments are entering new aid agreements that carry concerning conditions, some of which threaten to restrict access to sexual and reproductive health services and sideline civil society.

The implications are troubling. Marginalized populations who already face stigma and exclusion could see their access to services further constrained. And governments navigating difficult fiscal realities may feel compelled to accept conditions that reshape national health priorities in ways that undermine reproductive health progress. 

In this environment, the role of our community becomes even more important. We must remain vigilant, principled, and united in our commitment to ensuring that reproductive health remains accessible and equitable.

Above all, we must resist the temptation to retreat into institutional silos. Fragmentation will only weaken our ability to respond to the challenges ahead.

If we lead with vision, act with integrity, and stand together as a movement, we can navigate this moment and continue the work that matters so deeply: ensuring that every woman and girl, everywhere, has the power and the freedom to make decisions about her own health and future.

That is a goal worthy of our collective commitment to increasing reproductive health access.

This moment calls for transformational leadership, requiring courage, humility, and the willingness to prioritize the long-term strength of the movement over short-term individual gains.

Yours in solidarity and resolve,
Martyn Smith