Implications of Health Sector Reforms for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services The Initiative for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Health Sector Reforms is an international research, capacity building and advocacy project (also known as the Rights and Reforms Initiative). It aims to promote health sector reforms that are conducive to implementing the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development's (ICPD) Programme of Action, are driven by in-country actors, and are responsive to the needs of the people of the country, especially poor women. The Initiative is coordinated by the Women's Health Project/School of Public Health in Johannesburg, South Africa, and led by an international team based in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Rights and Reforms team is made up of researchers (NGOs and individuals) and regional sexual and reproductive health and rights networks. The main purpose of the Initiative is to strengthen understanding amongst activists and decision-makers of the role of global social and economic changes and specifically of health sector reforms (HSR) in facilitating or undermining efforts to achieve sexual and reproductive rights in health policies and programmes. The first phase of the Rights and Reforms Initiative (2002-2004) focused on strengthening the knowledge base regarding the impact of HSR on women's access to sexual and reproductive health services. Three research teams from Africa, Asia and Latin America respectively carried out a systematic review of information sources on each of six issues related to HSR, namely: o Financing, o Public-Private Interactions, o Priority-Setting, o Decentralization, o Integration of services and o Community Participation and Accountability. Three regional papers on each of the six topics were produced, except for a paper on Integration of services in Africa. The regional papers on each topic were subsequently integrated into a 'global' paper on each topic and are published in the book, The Right Reforms? Health Sector Reforms and Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health. Additional project materials include policy briefs on each of the topics - highlighting key issues and recommending further research needs and possible areas for advocacy; three regional volumes and a training manual. All of the materials can be accessed at www.wits.ac/whp/rightsandreforms.htm