A caucus composed of parliamentarians from East and Southern Africa has been launched to push for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the region.
The health champions that are meeting in Nairobi emphasized the need to work together to uplift the reproductive health and rights of people in Africa, young women and women in marginalised communities.
The chairperson of the caucus Ben Phiri on Saturday said they are expected to come up with a framework and a proper structure that will help deal with issues of sexual reproductive health to foster sustainable growth.
"Women and girls have a right to know how to manage their pregnancies. We are emphasising on information, education and deaths caused by negligence when these rights are not guaranteed," Phiri said
He emphasized that the challenges faced by the African continent are huge and as leaders, there is a need to step up and find lasting solutions.
The caucus comprises more than 19 member countries from Southern and Eastern Africa, focusing on various areas, including expanding access to healthcare, promoting education, reducing infant and maternal mortality rates, preventing teenage pregnancies, managing population growth, and fostering sustainable development.
Speaking at the meeting, the director of Ipas Africa Alliance Dr Angela Akol explained that the gains that had been made in ensuring sexual reproductive health rights in women and girls were rolled back since the Covid-19 pandemic hence the need to have concerted efforts to get back on track.
"In the past, we’ve been making steady progress towards improved contraceptive access for women and girls but during Covid-19, all these were rolled back, "Dr Akol said.
She said it is for this reason that parliamentarians who expressed concerns came together to discuss and come up with a unified strategy aimed at improving the reproductive health and rights of women and girls.
"The most important subject in this discussion relates to teenage pregnancy because the region has a huge burden. Some budgets of countries in this region are being overwhelmed by re-entry to school for girls who got pregnant," she added.
"Let us reaffirm our dedication to promoting comprehensive & universal access to SRHR services, combating stigma & discrimination, and empowering communities to make informed choices about their bodies & futures in the ESA region," Hivos Regional Director Kennedy Mugochi said during the meeting.
