A roadmap for action: Launching the 2nd Milestone Scorecard for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
On November 28th 2023, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) launched the 2nd Milestone Scorecard on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) at the joint meeting of Ministers of Health and Ministers responsible for HIV & AIDS in Luanda, Republic of Angola.
The SADC SRHR Scorecard is a visual tool that provides an overview of progress in the SADC region towards achieving targets set in the SADC SRHR Strategy for 2019-2030. The scorecard targets also align with the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on critical areas such as maternal and neonatal health, gender-based violence, and access to reproductive health services. There will be three more collection years, in 2025, 2027, 2029 and a summative collection in 2030 for the target year.
In the second round of monitoring member states reported a good reduction of new HIV infections and lower Mother-to-Child Transmission rates since the 2019 and 2021 collection years. There was also an overall improvement in adolescent birth rates and education on comprehensive sexuality and life skills. Ongoing challenges included persistent high levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and high maternal mortality rates. There was also an ongoing need for increased budget allocations and resources for Member States to enhance SRHR services.
The 2nd Milestone Scorecard presents an important roadmap for future action. The insights provided in this data collection round show what’s working and provides crucial insights for shaping policies and health strategies, guiding us towards a future where sexual and reproductive health rights and services are accessible and upheld for all. hera is proud to work alongside of UNFPA and SADC secretariat colleagues in the development and maintenance of this crucial tool. While there is clearly a long way to go, the scorecard represents a positive step forward in assessing and improving health outcomes in the region.
You can view the scorecard below or on the Tableau public site.
