Improving young peoples access to information on sexual. The government of malawi has adopted policies that create an environment supportive of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. This is in turn closely related to women and girls right to choose any method of contraception and their right to family planning education arts 141abc and f. Ultimately, the goal of the presentation is to make. Many of these young people are at risk or already struggling with the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection sti, including hivaids. Youth accessing reproductive health services in malawi. Avoiding unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infectionss. Capacity building of civil society organizations to advocate is therefore part and parcel of the ubr programme. The 1995 national youth policy identifies youth as a distinct sector of government policy and provides guidelines for developing programs and services to facilitate youth participation in nation. Challenges malawi s reproductive health programme is part of the joint programme of work for a health sectorwide approach swap 20042010. Cultural factors that affect sexual and reproductive.
Pdf adolescent sexual and reproductive health in malawi. It provides state oftheart information on a variety of topics including puberty, adolescence, parenting, population education and health, anatomy. The policy intends to bring adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights issues into the countrys mainstream health and development agenda. The sexual and reproductive health of younger adolescents. Family planning and reproductive health can help curb this population increase and enhance the overall wellbeing of the country. This strategy, therefore, aims at giving direction and guidance to.
Centre for reproductive health, 2nd reproductive health. Adolescents in malawi face barriers when attempting to obtain reproductive health information and services and only eight percent of youth aged 15 to 19 report using a modern contraceptive method malawi dhs 2004. Percent using sexual and reproductive health services among 1219 year olds who had sex in the last 12 months in burkina faso, ghana, malawi and uganda, 2004 the majority of sexuallyactive adolescents reported never experiencing an sti or sti symptom 1 ranging from 81% in uganda to 97% in burkina faso for females and from 90% in malawi to. National adolescent sexual and reproductive health policy. Sexual and reproductive health shr services have been provided in malawi for. Plan malawi equally has gained experience in the area of sexual and reproductive. The term sexual and reproductive health has been used in preference to simply. Adolescents views of and preferences for sexual and. This definition is taken and modified from the who definition of health. Compared with older women, adolescents also tend to take longer to recognise their pregnancies and are more.
To maintain ones sexual and reproductive health, people need access to. This is vital because research shows that only a minority of sexually active adolescent women who have a sexually transmitted infection sti seek care in a health facility. Family planning enables women to delay their first pregnancy and space later pregnancies at the safest intervals, reducing the rates of both highrisk pregnancies and maternal mortality. A synthesis of research evidence was written by alister c. We conducted this study to understand roles of community leaders on adolescents hiv and sexual and reproductive health srh rights in mulanje malawi. Pdf the role of community leaders on adolescent hiv and.
People have the right to make their own choices and decisions, based on sound information. Malawi has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates worldwide. The sexual and reproductive health needs of very young. Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and human rights 1. Brazil, indonesia, malawi, the republic of moldova, mozambique, sri lanka, switzerland and tajikistan. It is thus important to ensure that health systems provide a basic package of reproductive health services, including family planning. Proportion of women aged 2024 reporting birth before age 18viii the unmet need for contraception is higher among adolescent girls than among older women in subsaharan africa.
National community health strategy 201722 iv acknowledgement developing malawis first ever national community health strategy has been a monumental undertaking with the vision of improving the livelihoods of the more than 17 million people living in our country. The association believes that health is a universal value held by all faiths and a universal right for human beings. It implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the capability to reproduce, and the freedom to decide if, when, and how often to do so. Additionally, only 36% of sexually active youth report having ever used a method of family planning malawi dhs 2004. Harvey1, mercy chimchere3, james chilembwe4, lois park1, chrissie chalimba5, edson monjeza6, fannie kachale4, jameson ndawala2 and melissa. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in malawi. The state of african women june 2018 223 hater 7 reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health figure 7. Reproductive health and hiv, centre for reproductive health, university of malawi, may 2010. Christian family life education planned parenthood. Ministry of health national youth friendly health services. Progress in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights globally between 1990 and 2016.
The national gender policy will advocate for gender. Investing in sexual and reproductive health for young people is to improve individuals understanding of the importance of supporting youth sexual and reproductive health and rights in order to meet national development goals. In order to work towards an improved enabling environment, advocacy is an important strategy. Women empowerment and reproductive health outcomes in malawi. Reproductive health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters related to the reproductive system and to its functions and process. We conducted this study to understand roles of community leaders on adolescents hiv and sexual and reproductive health srh rights in mulanjemalawi. Sexual and reproductive health is also important as an issue in itself. The reproductive health policy the reproductive health policy goal is to provide accessible, affordable, and convenient comprehensive reproductive health services to all women, men and young people in malawi. The funding for the 201516 mdhs was provided by the government of malawi, the united states agency for international development usaid, the united. Sexual and reproductive health is an issue that concerns everyone. Results from all tests were used to improve both the process and. Chisale mhango reproductive health unit ministry of health malawi the change we seek 1 n. A study on factors hindering husbands from participating.
Offer programs for young people to reduce early marriage. Pdf acknowledgments adolescent sexual and,reproductive health in malawi. Chapter 7 reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health. More than onefifth of malawis population is between the ages of 10 and 19. Reproductive and maternal health, womens health usa 2011. In malawi, most family planningrelated policies are reflected. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in malawi guttmacher. This strategy, therefore, aims at giving direction and guidance to the implementation of srh services for.
More than a decade ago, at the icpd, held in cairo, 179 countries agreed that. Reproductive health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters related. Reproductive and maternal health graphs 322k zipped folder of 16 gifs reproductive and maternal health pages 357k 8. Global policy committee of the world health organization, 2 may 1994. As such, faith traditions, spiritual values and commitment to social justice must lead the church to believe passionate. The goal of the program is to promote through informed choice, safer reproductive health practices by women, men and youth including use of quality and accessible reproductive health services. It shares its border with mozambique to the east, the republic of south africa to the north, west and south. The goal for male involvement in srh is to promote male. Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and human. Teenage pregnancies are on the rise and little progress has been made in reducing unmet need for family planning among youth. Jun 19, 2018 malawi has made progress in increasing its overall modern contraceptive prevalence rate since 2000, resulting in a dramatic reduction in its total fertility rate. Malawi, the government has committed itself to the provision of reproductive health programmes and has shown an interest in the reduction of gender inequalities. Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health and human rights. Integrating innovative family planning strategies into an.
Life planning skills training manual for young people in. Cultural factors that affect sexual and reproductive health. Malawi has made progress in increasing its overall modern contraceptive prevalence rate since 2000, resulting in a dramatic reduction in its total fertility rate. This research in brief summarizes key research find ings on malawian adolescents sexual and reproductive health behaviors. Munthali centre for social research, university of malawi, malawi, agnes chimbiri centre for reproductive health, college of medicine, malawi and eliya zulu african population and health research centre, kenya. In view of the importance of male involvement in srh, malawi ministry of health incorporated male involvement policy statements and strategies in its recent sexual and reproductive health and rights srhr policy. Access to sexual and reproductive health services plan. Improving sexual and reproductive health is among the most costeffective of all development investments, reaping personal, social and economic benefits.
Malawi scoring below the expected health gains, more also in the area of sex, sexuality and reproductive health. The time when these issues start to affect young lives is at adolescence when young people are beginning to learn about their own sexuality and are having to make decisions about. Reproductive health public disclosure authorized at a glance. Control over fertility, and over whether and when to have children, are central to womens health. Kululanga et al male and maternity health care in malawi african journal of reproductive health march 2012. National statistical office, zomba, malawi and orc macro, 2001. Sexual and reproductive health should be conducted regularly 19. Munthali centre for social research, university of malawi, malawi.
Train more health workers in the delivery of youthfriendly health services iii. Integrate asrh services in the school life skills program ii. This includes accessing sexual and reproductive health services. The centre for reproductive health of college of medicine in collaboration with the ministry of health and stakeholders organised a one and half days dissemination conference at the cross roads hotel, lilongwe from 14th august, 2009. The first srhr policy was formulated in 2002 and was revised in 2009. Acknowledgments adolescent sexual and,reproductive health in malawi. Women empowerment and reproductive health outcomes in.
Investing in sexual and reproductive health for young people is a 15minute engage presentation that seeks to make youth sexual and reproductive health and rights srhr a priority on malawis policy agenda. Sexual and reproductive health revision version 0101 page 4 describing or comparing her situation with that of an older woman, as neither young girl or young woman effectively describe the age range in question. Lecture notes on reproductive health carter center. Srhr education, sexual and reproductive health services, and an enabling environment to seek health services. As a way of empowering women and reducing fertility rates, the government of. Good sexual and reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing in all matters relating to the reproductive system. Reproductive health part 1 introduction to reproductive. Improving young peoples access to information on sexual and. Chapter 7 reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive. Sexual and reproductive health knowledge was high in both districts.