Zimbabwe:Gender champion enhancing comprehensive sexual education

Name of Good Practice: Gender champion enhancing comprehensive sexual education

Category: Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights – including Gender-Based Violence, HIV and AIDS, and Youth Engagement

The project aims to reduce incidences of STIs among women and girls in Kadoma City as reflected by a decrease in cases recorded at all the clinics. The strategy involves offering comprehensive sexual health education and sexual health services that is why it was chosen. It will ensure access to prevention interventions, and early treatment to counter spread the disease.

The project’s key actions will involve some public lectures; focus group discussions; health talks and IEC material distribution.

Partners The government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care has provided a vital coordination role between the council and partner organisations and has provided through partner organisations, various Information Education and Communication materials. ZAZIC, a non-governmental organisation, is involved in the implementation of the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision program, has also partnered the council health department in the rolling out of male circumcision services in Kadoma. National Aids Council has trained trainers involved in cascading best practices in sexual reproductive health education to implementing staff at clinics. CHESSHIR, a Bulawayo based non-governmental organisation through its sister to sister program enhanced the deliverables of the program through availing sex education and sexual health services to commercial sex workers.

Strategies Lobbying of the city fathers was done in order to ensure funding for the program and support in terms of logistics and human resources. Coalition building was employed through engagement with the Ministry of education for coordination of the school sexual health education program in all secondary schools in Kadoma Urban. A short message service platform was used for delivering sexual health messages to randomly selected patients from our database at the Integrated TB and HIV clinic. City councillors were engaged as influential persons in the communities, to enhance community buy-in into the program.

Challenges

-being scared to be open-minded to discuss sexual issues.

–continued exposure to sexual health education created a reinforcing effect and eventual acceptance of sexual health education

Immediate results and next steps

-reduced new cases of STIs

-greater awareness of sexual reproductive health issues and sexual health services being offered by Kadoma city council

-the program needs to be cascaded to target Man on the street.

Long Term Impact

-Zero new HIV infections

-Zero new STIs infections

-Total viral suppression for HIV patients.

Learning and how this will be applied

-The effect of community engagement.

-ensure community engagement at all levels of the community.