04 Aug 2013

A meeting of the high level group on Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) commitment has resolved to intensify sexuality education and access to health services by adolescents and young people.

The two-day meeting in Gaborone last week, was held on the backdrop of findings of a July report titled: Young People Today - Ready for Tomorrow, which presented a picture of significant progress in adolescents sexuality education and access to services, but also outlined challenging realities that needed to be confronted.

The report indicated that the ESA region had made significant improvement in access to education by young people. It also noted that there had been a leveling-off in the incidence of new HIV infections in some countries and the benefits of increased access to treatment of adolescents and young people living with HIV. However, the report painted a worrying scenario that HIV knowledge levels remained below 40 per cent. It also stated that girls and young women still struggled to access and complete secondary education, adding that an estimated 52 young people aged 15-24 years were infected every hour in the region. It also said there was a high number of unintended pregnancies by adolescents and young people.

“We see these as urgent challenges that compel us all to look for opportunities to change this situation, now and in the near future. We, as experts in health, education, rights and development know that education and health are mutually reinforcing,” the group said in a resolution statement.

The high level grop, which comprises regional leaders in education, sexual and reproductive health and rights and development, agreed to close all gaps in access to sexuality education and services for adolescents and young people.

“Adolescents and young people in this region require good quality, gender sensitive sexuality education that prepares them puberty, relationships, and decisions about their sexual behaviour that can prevent HIV and unintended pregnancy. They require education that develops values and skills that empower adolescents and young people to decide, if, when and with whom they want to begin sexual relationships that are safe and mutually consensual,” said the group.

The meeting, which ended on Wednesday, was chaired by Professor Sheila Tlou, former Minister of Health and current director of the UNAIDS regional support team for the ESA. Professor Tlou said the health of young people would be guaranteed if the the groups commitment could be successfully implemented. The high level group commission initiative came as a result of continuing high rates of HIV prevalence in the region, the high number of new infections amongst young people, the high levels of unintended pregnancy as well as other unmet sexual and reproductive health needs.

Tanzanian First Lady, Ms Salma Kikwete, who is also a HLG member, said all stakeholders in each of the 21 ESA countries should be involved to ensure that the commitment became reality. 

“That would expand its ownership and buy-in,” she said, adding that some issues established in the report require urgent attention. ENDS