The Strategy for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the SADC Region (2019-2030), and its Scorecard, provides a policy and programming framework for SADC Member States to fast-track the attainment of positive SRHR outcomes for all people living in the SADC region. The Strategy assists Member States in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and other related regional, continental and international development commitments.
In 2021 Member States embarked on the first official reporting as required, demonstrating progress update as per set Strategy Scorecard indicators. The Member States Implementation Scorecard/status report of 2021 is now available at: https://www.sadc.int/pages/sexual-reproductive-health-and-rights-scorecard.
The Report, besides holding Member States accountable to the SRHR agenda, is a clear demonstration of the region’s commitments to the provision of standardised and accessible health services for all citizens. A lot still needs to be done across all the indicators, against the set milestones to safeguard gains made, and address areas requiring further attention and support. Of concern is that only two out of the sixteen SADC countries reported on the proportion of the population accessing integrated SRH services. However, the fact that Member States managed to report and show progress on a range of indicators, even during peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a premise for celebration and illustration of Political commitment, to be strengthened in the next reporting period.
SAfAIDS appreciates all Member States for the reporting, and all stakeholders in the SRHR response sector for the sterling collaborative efforts at keeping the SRHR agenda alive amidst multiplex push-back forces prevailing in the region; from climate crisis to economic challenges to anti-rights strains. We encourage all to read through the progress report, and engage respective countries, and the SADC Secretariat; towards sustaining gains made and determining solutions to barriers to achieving remaining targets within the SRHR responses at regional, national and sub-national levels.
PRESS RELEASE SADC SRHR Strategy Member States Implementation Report(1)
About SAfAIDS: SAfAIDS is a regional African civil society organisation, with core mandate to end SRHR injustices in the SADC region; and advance Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Resilience building i.e., intersecting with climate action, livelihoods security and countering anti-rights movements. SAfAIDS believes in prioritising populations defined as vulnerable, marginalised, hard-to-penetrate or motivate, at-risk or key; divided by trait and identity; across community, institutional, policy-making and leadership levels. SAfAIDS Regional Office is domiciled in Zimbabwe, with Country Offices in Kingdom of Eswatini, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and Country Focal Points in Malawi and Kingdom of Lesotho. For more information visit: https://safaids.net/
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