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The regional average Southern Africa Gender and Development Index (SGDI) score for health is 62%, which is on par with the Citizen Score Card (CSC) score. There is no movement since last year on the SGDI. There is progress in reducing maternal mortality but in terms of coverage of sanitation half of the SADC countries moved forward while the other half backwards. The situation, therefore,remains precarious.
Despite provisions for sexual and reproductive health and the fact that most countries have some policy framework to cater for this, contraceptive usage varies from 6% in Angola to 76% in Mauritius. However, indications are that modern contraceptive uptake is on the rise in most countries in the region.
The most commonly used contraceptives in the region are via injection and the pill. Access to contraceptives for adolescents and young unmarried women is problematic due to the high legal age of consent for medical procedures,restrictive laws and negative attitudes to health personnel.
The regional average Southern AfricanGender and Development Index (SGDI) scorefor HIV and AIDS to 55%, score of an 8%increase compared with last year’s 47%.Similarly, the Citizen Score Card (CSC) ratingrose eight percentage points to 68%, comparedwith 60% last year.Country trends vary for the SGDI and CSC.Only two countries have surpassed 75%,while five countries are below the halfwaymark of 50% of the SGDI.Zambia achieved the highest CSC score at77%. The lowest is the Democratic Republicof Congo (DRC) at 38%.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) accounts for 34% of all people livingwith HIV and AIDS.Although progress in this sector has been slow, HIV prevalence has either stabilised or hasbegun decreasing in all SADC countries, yet they remain among the highest in the world.In 13 of the 15 SADC countries women have a higher HIV prevalence than men – an increasefrom last year’s 12.
Knowledge of HIV and AIDS is the most improved indicator of the 23 that make up the SGDI compared with last year’s figure. In only three of the 15 countries women have more knowledge of HIV and AIDS than men, while in 12 countries women have less knowledge than men. Click here to read the HIV and AIDS and Health Chapters
📝Read the emotional article by @nokwe_mnomiya, with a personal plea: 🇿🇦Breaking the cycle of violence!https://t.co/6kPcu2Whwm pic.twitter.com/d60tsBqJwx
— Gender Links (@GenderLinks) December 17, 2024
Comment on Regional: SADC making steps, but still far from meeting the 2015 targets