Sexual & Reproductive Health

In Malawi, adolescents and young people bear the highest burden of poor SRH outcomes. For instance, about one in three new annual HIV infections (12,500 out of 36,000) occur among adolescents and young people aged 15–24 years, and close to three-quarters of these new infections are among girls. About one in seven adolescent girls aged 15–19 years have already given birth or are pregnant, posing risks to their health and development.

The risk of maternal deaths is three times higher among adolescent girls compared to young women aged 20 years and older,18 with adolescent girls accounting for close to 30% of all maternal deaths.

Malawi’s government has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the SRH needs of adolescents and young people by ratifying several international and regional human and reproductive rights frameworks, including the Maputo Protocol. Despite these commitments, however, as well as supportive policy and legal frameworks, the delivery of adolescent SRH services – including CSE, safe abortion and contraceptive use – continues to face implementation challenges.

AREAS OF ATTENTION

  1. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Outreach: We develop and implement community-based programs to provide comprehensive sexuality education to adolescents and young people, emphasizing informed decision-making, reproductive health rights, and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
  2. Access to Contraceptives and Family Planning Services: Our dream is to establish mobile clinics and outreach programs to increase access to contraceptives and family planning services for adolescents and young people in remote and underserved areas, ensuring confidentiality and non-discrimination.
  3. Youth-Friendly Health Facilities: We collaborate with healthcare providers and facilities to create youth-friendly environments offering confidential, non-judgmental, and culturally sensitive SRH services tailored to the needs of adolescents and young people.
  4. Capacity Building for Healthcare Providers: We conduct training programs for healthcare providers on adolescent-friendly SRH services, including counseling skills, confidentiality protocols, and understanding the unique needs and rights of adolescents and young people.
  5. Community Engagement and Awareness Campaigns: We organize community dialogues, workshops, and awareness campaigns to engage parents, community leaders, and other stakeholders in promoting SRH rights and addressing harmful social norms and practices affecting adolescents and young people.