Title: Moves to strengthen responses to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights issues
Author: Staff Writer
Category: Health and AIDS
Date: 11/24/2014
Source: AfricaFiles
Source Website: http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=27445
African Charter Article# 16: Every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health.
Summary & Comment: The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) is strengthening its Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS governance by training parliamentarians to appreciate their roles. MM
http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=27445
Windhoek-The SADC Parliamentary Forum has commissioned a baseline survey ahead of a four-year programme to strengthen the capacity of regional parliaments to respond to reproductive health and Aids governance issues. The programme will be held through SADC's Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and AIDS Governance (SRHR, HIV&AIDS Governance) programme.
Funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the programme aims to build the capacity of SADC parliamentarians to support initiatives to promote SRHR, HIV&AIDS Governance responses.
As elected representatives of the people parliamentarians are uniquely positioned to advocate for national and other resources and to legislate around SRHR, HIV&AIDS Governance. However, experts say parliamentarians can only be more effective in playing their watchdog and other roles if they are given relevant information and skills.
The SRHR, HIV&AIDS Governance programme will initially be implemented in seven countries: Angola, Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe with a view to replicate its successes in SADC countries.
As a starting point the SADC PF has enlisted the services of the Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD) based at the University of KwaZulu Natal to conduct baseline studies in the selected countries to appreciate the current levels of knowledge, attitudes, practices and other variables related to SRHR, HIV&AIDS Governance issues.
Moses Magadza, a Public Relations Officer at SADC PF said expectations were that information gleaned through the baseline studies which started this week and will be conducted over about two months would inform programme implementation strategies and also provide a basis for its monitoring and evaluation.
As part of the baseline study the HEARD team and staff of SADC PF will conduct in-depth interviews and focus group discussion in selected countries.
Additionally they will study various documents that have implications for SRHR or HIV/AIDS responses including national constitutions and legislation, parliamentary committee meeting agendas, minutes and reports of discussions and decisions. National policies, plans and budgets, government declarations, addresses by heads of state; national programme reviews, national surveys, and expenditure reports; parliamentarian capacity-building programme/activity reports; any organograms and process charts or descriptions of the national policy-making and decision-making structure and processes will also be examined.
It is expected that the baseline study will also give stakeholders an opportunity to point out key issues and priorities related to SRHR, HIV&AIDS Governance issues as well as to be involved in planning strategies going forward.
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