Department of Health and Human Services 2018 | The Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Index

Department of Health and Human Services

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received a 66 (D) with transparency and a 75 (C) without transparency. HHS issued documents that negatively impacted sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally in both Maternal and Child Health and HIV and AIDS domains. The transparency grades were significantly lower across both domains due to the lack of transparency of the distribution of global health funding by HHS in 2018.

D+

C-

HIV & AIDS

HHS received a 67 (D+) with transparency and a 71 (C-) without transparency for for HIV and AIDS based on the release of two relevant documents in 2018. The disbursed funds for HIV and AIDS programs through HHS were not publicly available, which contributed to this actor’s low transparency grade in this domain.

The Fòs Feminista data index grades government agencies on policies and funding impacting family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV & AIDS foreign assistance.

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2018_HHS Strategic Plan_Strategic Goal 2: Protect the Health of Americans Where They Live, Learn, Work, and Play

The HHS Strategic Plan provides an overview of the Agency's domestic and global strategy that is based on evidence and human rights norms. Strategic Objective 2.2 within the Strategic Plan states that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will implement HIV programs "including prevention, testing, treatment, and retention interventions, provide technical assistance, and conduct research in support of PEPFAR." The Strategic Plan did not include any other specific information, so was determined to have little effect on the ability of HHS to implement HIV and AIDS programs that are evidence-based, responsive to need, consistent with internationally-recognized human rights principles, and gender transformative.

2018_Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance FAQs_August 2018

The Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) FAQs provided detailed guidance on the implementation of the expanded Global Gag Rule for implementing partners as of September 2018. HHS was graded based on the "HHS Specific Information" section on page 17 that outlined how HHS administered grants according to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The information offered in this section did not have an effect on the ability of HHS to implement HIV and AIDS programs that were evidence-based, responsive to need, consistent with internationally-recognized human rights principles, and gender transformative.

Maternal and Child Health (MCH)

HHS received a 66 (D) with transparency and a 75 (C) without transparency for Maternal and Child Health. HHS was graded on the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) FAQ that included the “HHS Specific Information” section on page 17. The disbursed funds for maternal and child health programs through HHS were not publicly available, which contributed to this actor’s low transparency grade in this domain.