Investing in SRHR: Unlocking Zimbabwe’s demographic dividend

ZIMBABWE’S population structure is undergoing a significant transformation, with the proportion of young people steadily increasing in relation to children and the elderly. This demographic shift presents an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate economic growth and lay the foundations for long-term national development.

The potential benefits of this transition are often referred to as the demographic dividend. These accelerated economic gains occur when the working-age population becomes larger than the dependent population of children and the elderly.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), this demographic window can serve as a powerful engine for national prosperity, but it is neither automatic nor permanent. It requires deliberate, sustained, and strategic investment in human capital, particularly in health, education and employment creation.

Zimbabwe’s demographic profile already shows encouraging signs, with the total fertility rate having declined to about 3,7 births per woman. This demonstrates that the demographic transition is underway, though not yet complete. UNFPA’s analysis suggests that Zimbabwe’s demographic window of opportunity opened around 2004, peaked in 2012 and could remain open until approximately 2060, provided the country adopts the right policies and ensures effective implementation.

Among the most essential investments Zimbabwe can make in this period is in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Too often regarded narrowly as a public health or moral concern, SRHR is, in fact, a fundamental economic strategy.

Access to modern contraception empowers women and couples to plan and space their children, which in turn reduces unintended pregnancies, improves maternal and child health, and ensures that women and girls remain in school longer.

When they complete their education, they are more likely to participate meaningfully in the labour market, contribute to household income and drive economic productivity. In contrast, early and unintended pregnancies undermine educational attainment, restrict future earnings and entrench cycles of poverty.

Preventing adolescent pregnancies is therefore central to unlocking the potential of Zimbabwe’s youthful population.
Investing in SRHR also improves maternal health outcomes and strengthens health systems. Although Zimbabwe has reduced maternal mortality in recent years, more effort is needed to guarantee safe delivery for all women.

Reliable access to emergency obstetric care, essential medicines and skilled birth attendants remains a challenge, particularly given the mass migration of nurses and other health personnel seeking opportunities abroad.

The consequences of these gaps are not only tragic for families but also costly for the nation, as preventable maternal deaths and complications reduce labour force participation and productivity.

Improving maternity care, therefore, has multiplier effects: it saves lives, supports healthy infants who are more likely to thrive, and strengthens the human capital on which economic growth depends.

The intersection between SRHR and the fight against HIV provides another critical area of focus. Zimbabwe has achieved remarkable recognition globally for its progress in reducing new HIV infections and expanding access to treatment. However, continued vigilance is required to sustain these gains.

Efforts must remain focused on preventing new infections, reducing mother-to-child transmission, and ensuring that people living with HIV remain healthy and productive. This is not only a health imperative but also an economic one, as a healthy workforce is central to sustaining productivity.

Beyond HIV, reproductive health challenges such as cervical cancer also demand attention. Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women in Zimbabwe, yet it is largely preventable through vaccination and early detection.

The introduction of the national HPV vaccination programme in 2018, targeting girls aged 10 to 14, was a bold and progressive step. Recent initiatives to expand HPV DNA screening, which is more effective at detecting pre-cancerous changes early, are further strengthening this effort.

Protecting women from cervical cancer ensures that mothers, caregivers and workers, who form the backbone of households and communities, remain healthy and able to contribute productively to society.

Zimbabwe is not beginning from a blank slate in building this SRHR foundation. Important progress has already been made through policies and legislation.

The Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy has provided a roadmap for addressing the needs of young people, while the enactment of the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons Act, 2024) represents an important step in protecting children and combating practices such as child marriage.

These measures have laid the groundwork for change, but policies alone cannot transform outcomes. They must be matched by strong implementation, adequate financing, and effective monitoring mechanisms.

Enforcing laws against child marriage, supporting families to keep girls in school, and addressing harmful cultural norms through community awareness are critical if Zimbabwe is to translate policy into progress.

A central question is how SRHR will be financed. Financing should not be regarded as an unavoidable burden, but as an investment with exceptionally high returns. Zimbabwe’s Investment Case already identifies interventions that deliver substantial economic benefits, including contraceptive provision, safe motherhood services, and adolescent-friendly healthcare.

The task now is to sustain and expand these programmes. This requires a blended financing model that includes both domestic resources and development partner support, but with domestic financing playing the leading role.

Increasing allocations to health, ring-fencing funds for contraceptives, and investing in commodities that strengthen the broader health system are measures that can ensure sustainability. By treating SRHR financing as a catalyst for growth rather than as an expenditure, Zimbabwe can safeguard the health and productivity of its people and secure long-term economic benefits.

Zimbabwe’s youthful population has the potential to drive innovation, expand productivity, and stimulate economic growth. But this potential will only be realised if young people are healthy, educated and empowered. Investing in SRHR ensures that women can decide freely and responsibly on the timing of childbirth, mothers deliver safely, HIV infections are reduced and cervical cancer is prevented.

These investments translate into a healthier, more skilled and more dynamic workforce, capable of transforming the economy. It is essential to recognise, however, that the demographic dividend is not guaranteed. The window of opportunity is finite and will close if decisive action is not taken.

The choices made now will determine whether the country harnesses the energy and potential of its youth or squanders this unique opportunity. Placing SRHR at the centre of Zimbabwe’s development agenda is therefore not only a matter of rights and well-being but also a matter of economic strategy.

Zimbabwe’s youthful population is its greatest asset. The demographic dividend presents an opportunity that, if seized, could transform the country’s economic trajectory for generations to come. But this dividend will only materialise if the health, education and empowerment of young people are prioritised. SRHR must be recognised as a central pillar of economic development, not as a peripheral concern.

By committing to strong policies, adequate financing and effective implementation, Zimbabwe can build a healthier, better-educated and more productive population. With determination and investment, Zimbabwe can ensure that its youthful population becomes the engine of growth, innovation and resilience that drives the nation forward.