The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will lead a cross-cutting initiative on equitable access to reproductive health. The initiative will consist of three main tasks:
1. Convening a standing committee of experts to help inform activity and program development related to the broad-reaching and inequitable health, social and economic impacts related to access to reproductive health in the US and globally;
2. Coordinating a portfolio of activities carried out by individual program units across the National Academies as well as new work undertaken collaboratively; and,
3. Ensuring cohesive external messaging across the institution.
The standing committee will provide a venue for the exchange of ideas among federal, state, and local government agencies, the private sector, and the academic community, as well as other relevant stakeholders, and will strategize on best ways to enact positive change through sponsored projects. HMD, DBASSE, and PGA will administer the initiative jointly in collaboration with NAM.
The standing committee will:
• Assess the health, economic, social, and policy implications of access to reproductive health care;
• Identify and recommend high priority issues and opportunities to pursue through NASEM activities on ways to improve health and well-being through access to reproductive health;
• Consider how past, current, and pending NASEM activities may be leveraged to inform stakeholders and help ameliorate health, social, and economic harms as a result of restricted access to reproductive health care;
• Serve as a focal point for national policy discussions by experts and other leaders in the field of reproductive health;
• Develop webinars on reproductive health topics that can increase awareness and promote dialogue in the medical, public health, societal and general population;
• Discuss strategies for addressing misinformation regarding reproductive health;
• Recommend experts for developing NASEM activities focused on access to reproductive health; and
• Identify potential sponsors to support activities focused on the priority issue areas.
The standing committee may be involved in the planning and development of related ad hoc activities undertaken by separately appointed committees. The standing committee will carry out its charge at its in-person and virtual meetings by gathering evidence from experts, deliberating, and, when necessary, by preparing short expert consultations.