The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
UNFPA is calling for continued investment in the provision of Sexual Reproductive Health and Gender based Violence (GBV) services for young people in the context of Covid-19 as it has caused gaps and challenges in the provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services.
Covid-19 has seen the re-allocation of resources away from these services that may affect the health of many women and girls. This was highlighted by the executive director of UNFPA Dr Natalia Kanem on the occasion of World Population Day.
“WPD is commemorated each year on the 11th of July. The theme for this year ‘Rights and Choices are the answer: Whether baby boom or bust, they solution lies in prioritising the reproductive health and right of all people’ points to the need to continue focusing on the rights and choices of women and young people particularly girls,” she said.
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a strain on health care systems globally and nationally, disrupting the provision of SRH information and services at the same time.
Dr Kanem said Covid-19 has exacerbated gender inequities and GBV with increased incidences of violence under lockdowns.
It has also led to stark inequalities and weaknesses in health care systems within and amoung counties.
“The crisis has forced many overstretched health systems to scale back sexual and reproductive health services while are often not deemed essential.
While these services are human right, they have been shunted aside in favour of more pressing concerns.
Amid economic pressures and budget cuts, there is a real risk that some countries may fail to restore these services,” she added.
In Zimbabwe the pandemic paused unprecedented challenges for UNFPA programming and it because necessary to relook at interventions and become more innovative to continue delivering critical SHR and GBV services for women and young people in light of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
UNFPA Zimbabwe country representative Dr Esther Muia they were bent on supporting delivery of services for women and young people to access contraceptives, obtain cervical cancer screening and access to GBV services for survivors.
“Although progress has been made, even with the challenges presented we are still alive to the fact that Covid-19 remains a huge challenge to our programming and to women and girls we still have much more work to do. We must continue to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health, leaving no one behind,” she said.
UNFPA said the country must take action to close gaps brought about by Covid-19 because sexual and reproductive health are essential even if health systems are understandably strained, these services cannot wait. Any other delays will curtail the health and well being of women and girls, consequences that can last a life time.
@NyembeziMu
