E/2009/27 E/CN.6/2009/15 infections and cervical and breast cancers. A number of effective strategies were available to enhance women’s sexual and reproductive health and accelerate progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goal 5, including increased access to skilled birth attendants and access to family planning and emergency obstetric care. Since young women were especially vulnerable to poor sexual and reproductive health, early childbearing, sexual coercion and violence, the inequities they faced in accessing quality services required particular attention. 9. The link between violence against women and women’s poor physical, mental and reproductive health was stressed. Participants noted that violence against women required a multisectoral response that included the public health perspective. The health sector should provide medical care, counselling, referrals, emergency contraception and prophylactic HIV treatment. The broader response should include legal measures, changing of attitudes and the provision of services for victims. 10. Participants emphasized the need for a gender-specific approach to the prevention of and response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The public health system should effectively address women’s increased vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and provide a gender-sensitive response. Women and girls had unequal access to health resources for the prevention, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS. They also faced particular cultural barriers in accessing services, including stigma and other negative repercussions when their HIV status was revealed. Integration of services for HIV prevention or treatment with reproductive and sexual health care was recognized as a good strategy for improving access to important public health benefits, including increased access to and use of HIV counselling and testing and condom use, as well as for addressing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. 11. Participants highlighted the particular situation of migrant women and the need for a gender-specific response by the public health system. Migrant women were particularly vulnerable to exploitation and violence, and may fear deportation because of their irregular status. As a consequence, migrant women often lacked access to basic health services such as regular check-ups and/or prenatal care. It was emphasized that migrant women should not be denied essential health services on the basis of their immigration status. 12. Participants noted the importance of collecting data disaggregated by sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status and, over time, in the area of public health. Such data needed to be analysed from a gender perspective, and the insights and results of such analysis had to be fully used in policy- and decisionmaking in the area of primary health care and in the health sector in general so as to ensure a gender-specific response. Participants also drew attention to the availability of tools and gender training materials aimed at the public health sector. 13. Participants recognized the importance of women’s economic and financial empowerment for improved health. The role of the education system towards this end was also highlighted. Participants drew attention to the linkages between the Millennium Development Goals, noting that efforts to eradicate poverty required by Goal 1 also contributed towards the 12 09-28398