HIV, Health and SRH cluster meeting

The Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance HIV, Health and SRH cluster held its inaugural meeting convened by theme cluster leader Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Trust (SAFAIDS) and the Alliance Secretariat on 1 November 2011 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The meeting will be held on the sidelines of the SAfAIDS Turning the Tides Summit which will be held under the theme ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health and Cultural Practices: A Linking, Learning and Sharing Platform for Interrogating HIV, Gender-based Violence and Maternal and Child Health Interventions in Southern Africa’.

Four organisations have been identified so far to become national focal points for their respective counties includingWomen’s Action Group (Zimbabwe); Planned Parenthood Association (Zambia); Centre for Youth Empowerment and Education (Malawi) and Family Life Association of Swaziland. SAFAIDS remains the lead organisation for the cluster.

The inception meeting helped the organisations understand the Alliance programme of action and how it functions as well as for them to understand their role as theme cluster national focal points as outlined in Memoranda of Understanding which will soon be signed between the four organisations and SAFAIDS.

Underpinned by the key provisions on Health and HIV and AIDS of the SADC Gender Protocol, the cluster has identified the following as their priority areas:

• Increased numbers of women accessing and using contraceptives, the condom in particular (including the female condom).
• Enhanced information to allow young women and girls to make good SRH choices to avoid unwanted and early pregnancies and HIV infection.
• Reduction in maternal mortality.
• Improved pregnancy and delivery services and infrastructure.
• Abortion laws in place in countries in the region, and services accessible.