The meeting was preceded by a press conference, during which Poland joined a statement on universal access to health care prepared on the initiative of the United States. The statement was delivered by US Secretary of Health Alex Azar on behalf of 19 countries. Poland was represented by Minister Jacek Czaputowicz.

The joint statement highlighted the key role of the protection of the family and the health of its members, as well as the health of communities, as an environment in which families function. The document also stated that families should be supported and strengthened. In this context, countries expressed their lack of support for references to certain terms and expressions, such as sexual and reproductive health and rights in UN documents, because they can undermine the critical role of the family and be interpreted as consent to promoting abortion. Such ambiguous terms do not take into account the sovereign right of nations to implement health policies according to their national context. The countries emphasised that they only support sex education that appreciates the protective role of the family in this education and does not condone harmful sexual risks for young people.

In their joint statement, countries expressed their strong support for equal access to health care, which includes reproductive concerns, maternal health, family planning and elimination of violence against women and girls. The countries called for focusing on concrete issues and challenges to accelerate access to health for all.

MFA Press Office

Photo: Tymon Markowski / MFA