Safeguard Young People (SYP) - Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

Although the eastern and southern Africa (ESA) region is progressing well on adolescent and youth health outcomes—including the establishment of strategies and frameworks, delivery of trainings and adoption of policies that support access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services—more remains to be done to improve the SRH status of adolescents and youth. Boys and young men continue to have unmet SRHR needs; COVID has fundamentally altered how countries think about delivering health services; and recurrent climate-related hazards continue to cause negative health outcomes.

The SYP programme is an influential regional project for SDC, having contributed to policy breakthroughs, consensus-building and meaningful domestication of regional initiatives. The SDC Cooperation Office Harare will finance an exit phase of support to the initial eight SYP countries, increasing the amount of overlap between longstanding SYP countries and the four countries added in 2021. Institutionalisation of key components, e.g. integration of mental health, climate change adaptation and, economic empowerment will improve sustainability and allow for the completion of unfinished business that was disrupted by COVID-19.

UNFPA’s strong convening power also gives SDC critical access to the Ministries of Health and Youth in Zimbabwe and Zambia, which can be leveraged for the design of future interventions to strengthen health systems in the two countries as part of the new two-country programme. 

Primary Target Group: Adolescents and young people (10-24), both girls and boys. Specifically young women living in areas with a high prevalence and risk of HIV, early and unintended pregnancies. 

Secondary Target Group: SADC, SADC Parliamentary Forum, Ministries of Health, Education and Youth, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Youth Service organisations, Youth Led Organisations, Parliaments, Parents, teachers, health providers, outreach workers and other youth serving implementers, decision makers, traditional leaders, community leaders. 

• Improved inclusive policies, legislation and accountability mechanisms for the promotion and protection of adolescents and young people’s rights at regional, national and sub-national levels with a focus on SRHR. 
• Adolescents and young people utilise knowledge, skills and agency to make informed decisions and take positive actions about their body, their life and their world. 
• Increased equitable access to quality SRHR, GBV and HIV integrated services, which are adolescents and youth friendly.

Erwartete Resultate:  

• Sustained capacity of regional and national institutions to enable a conducive legal and policy environment, including accountability mechanisms, to promote and protect adolescents and youth rights
• 83 million condoms distributed
• 8.2 million young people (boys and girls) reached with SBCC/CSE programmes
• 2.9 million adolescents and young people reached with integrated SRHR, GBV and HIV services
• 1.8 million young people accessing HIV services
• 5,200 young people and secondary beneficiaries that have been educated on how to respond to effects of climate change, environment and disaster risks as they pertain to SRHR, HIV, GBV and wellbeing 

Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

• 95% of targets and indicators have been met in creating a conducive SRHR legal and policy environment (policies, national legislation and accountability mechanisms). 
• 5,100,000 young people reached with social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) / Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programmes.
• 4,900,000 learners received inclusive and good quality CSE in school.
• 30.2 million condoms distributed to adolescents and young people. 
• 600’000 young people accessed HIV services.