Annex 1 General Comment Provisions related to Reproductive Rights 4. Quality. As well as being culturally acceptable, health facilities, goods and services must also be scientifi cally and medically ­appropriate and of good quality. This requires, inter alia, skilled medical personnel, scientifi cally approved and unexpired drugs and hospital equipment, safe and potable water, and adequate sanitation.” According to Paragraph 14, “The provision for the reduction of the stillbirth rate and of infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child” (art. 12.2 (a)) may be understood as requiring measures to improve child and maternal health, sexual and reproductive health services, including access to family planning, pre- and post-natal care, emergency obstetric services and access to information, as well as to resources necessary to act on that information.” Specifically on women’s health and issues of discrimination, the Committee says in Paragraph 21, “To eliminate discrimination against women, there is a need to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy for promoting women’s right to health throughout their life span. Such a strategy should include interventions aimed at the prevention and treatment of diseases affecting women, as well as policies to provide access to a full range of high quality and affordable health care, including sexual and reproductive services. A major goal should be reducing women’s health risks, particularly lowering rates of maternal mortality and protecting women from domestic violence. The realization of women’s right to health requires the removal of all barriers interfering with access to health services, education and ­information, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health. It is also ­important to undertake preventive, promotional and remedial action to shield women from the impact of harmful traditional cultural practices and norms that deny them their full reproductive rights.” 129