Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Health Reporter
Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have convened a high-level regional meeting in Harare to accelerate the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the SADC Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Strategy 2019-2030.
The meeting, which runs from today to September 4, brings together senior SRHR programme managers, monitoring and evaluation specialists, human rights experts and strategic partners from across the region under the theme, “Accelerating Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting of the SADC SRHR Strategy 2019/2030.”
Delegates will take stock of progress in implementing the strategy, strengthen accountability mechanisms and address emerging challenges affecting delivery of SRHR programmes. Discussions will focus on improving regional coordination and harmonisation of interventions, strengthening governance and accountability, and ensuring evidence and data are effectively used to guide programme planning, monitoring, evaluation and decision-making.
SADC is convening the gathering in collaboration with United Nations agencies under the Together4SRHR initiative — UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and the WHO Regional Office for Africa — with support from Sweden and the European Union.
Particular attention will be given to strengthening the generation, management and utilisation of data, as well as operationalising the SADC Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Framework to ensure regional monitoring and reporting systems can demonstrate measurable results and impact.
Coming at a critical stage in the implementation of the 2019-2030 strategy, the gathering provides an opportunity to translate regional commitments into tangible improvements in sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
SADC and its partners are expected to reinforce collective action and accountability towards ensuring that SRHR priorities are effectively implemented and contribute to improved health, rights and well-being across Southern Africa.
