Tag Archives: SDG

AMA, Health

Newly released 2025 scorecard unveils progress and setbacks on health and gender equality across Southern Africa

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Geneva, Switzerland, 26 February 2026- /African Media Agency (AMA)/- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has launched its biennial scorecard, a critical tool that tracks progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across its 16 Member States. New data, including from demographic health surveys, shows great strides in improving the sexual and reproductive health of people across the region, while in other areas, concerted efforts are urgently needed.

The SADC scorecard offers a regional snapshot of progress towards the implementation of the SADC SRHR Strategy and SRHR targets of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health and gender equality. First developed in 2019, the scorecard serves as a social accountability tool and uses a “traffic light” system to track 20 indicators.

The scorecard highlights improvements in reducing adolescent birth rates and the vertical transmission of HIV, while sounding the alarm on a rise in sexually transmitted infections and the need for investments to further reduce maternal mortality:

Lowered Adolescent Birth Rates: Twelve Member States recorded a decline in adolescent births, which can be attributed to the high roll-out of life-skills HIV and comprehensive sexuality education in primary schools.

Decline in HIV infection rates: The region has seen a decline in new HIV infections, however, the latest scorecard suggests that the rate of reduction in new HIV infections amongst adolescent girls and young women aged 15 – 24 years is slowing in seven countries. This could be partially linked to a rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in half of the countries and a decline in condom use in a majority of countries.

Reduction in Maternal Mortality: Six countries recorded significant reductions in maternal mortality, based on their latest national health data. This can be attributed to the priority given by the region to reduce maternal mortality, which needs to be sustained in order to preserve the gains made.

Strong progress in the decrease in the vertical transmission of HIV: Twelve Member States are on track to meet the SDG target by 2030, five of whom already achieved the milestone in 2025. Despite this success, children and adolescent girls and young women are lagging behind in receiving HIV services.

In addition to the abovementioned gains, the scorecard also identified areas where concerted efforts are needed:

Family Planning: Eight Member States are not meeting the contraceptive needs of women. Investing in the contraceptive needs of women and adolescent girls can further reduce teen pregnancies and preventable maternal deaths, and ensure their contribution to their country’s economic growth and development.

Gender-Based Violence: Sexual and intimate partner violence remains persistently high across all Member States in the SADC region. Though all countries have made progress in putting in place relevant laws and policies, greater investments are required to ensure their implementation, including the integration of SRHR, HIV and GBV services, so that all survivors are able to ensure their health and well-being.

Domestic financing: No SADC country has met the ‘Abuja Declaration’ target of allocating 15% of their national budgets to health. Four countries have allocated more than 10% of their national budget to health. Countries need to accelerate domestic funding given declining donor investments if progress is to be made in achieving Universal Health Coverage, and to reduce out of pocket expenditures for citizens.

“The true power of this 3rd Milestone Scorecard lies not merely in what it measures, but in the action it demands from us. With only five years to 2030, we must move with urgency, we need to accelerate implementation, scaling what works, and we need to support our commitments with bold, measurable, and accountable actions,” said Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, Republic of South Africa.

“Investing in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is no longer just a public health issue; it is a fundamental economic imperative. Research has shown us that every dollar invested in family planning, particularly among the youthful population, can yield up to $100 in long-term economic benefits, yet our chronic underfunding and reliance on external aid actively sacrifices our demographic dividend. Political leadership must translate into urgent, domestic financial mobilization that meets the 15% Abuja target. Our greatest challenge is the paralysis between policy commitment and real-world execution. The SADC scorecard and mid-term review of the SADC SRHR strategy reinforces that Member States need to reform restrictive national laws, enforce gender-based violence and child marriage legislation, and fully integrate SRHR into climate adaptation plans to build truly resilient, rights-based health systems,” reaffirms H.E. Mr. Elias Mpedi Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Since 2018, the joint United Nations Regional Programme, 2gether 4 SRHR, composed of UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, has supported SADC to develop, implement and monitor the SADC SRHR strategy and its scorecard, with funding from the Government of Sweden.

“The leadership of the SADC Ministers of Health and the Secretariat, guided by the SADC SRHR Strategy, is demonstrating tangible results: reduced adolescent birth rates, fewer maternal deaths, and decreased rates of HIV. These must be celebrated and safeguarded. However, the 2025 scorecard is a stark reminder that these gains are fragile. Without continued commitment and increased domestic investments, these gains risk being undone. As a long standing partner to SADC, the 2gether 4 SRHR programme remains committed to using the scorecard findings and working with Governments in areas where the region and countries are lagging behind.

Collectively, we must do better to ensure that all people can exercise their sexual and reproductive health and rights and that young people can achieve their full potential, so that everyone can contribute to the economic and social development of the region,” highlights Lydia Zigomo, UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, on behalf of the Regional Directors of the 2gether 4 SRHR programme.

“Despite our successes, we now risk a two-speed region where gaps in family planning, HIV prevention, and gender equality strand 94 million adolescents without the wellbeing they need to drive the economic and social development of SADC. To avoid this, all Member States must invest urgently and in sustained ways in adolescent SRHR as a foundation for all SRHR,” concludes Jonathan Gunthorp, Executive Director, SRHR Africa Trust.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of World Health Organisation.

Notes to editors:

The SADC scorecard is published every two years and tracks 20 indicators across SADC Member States, including information on rates of maternal and neonatal mortality, adolescent birth rates, family planning, HIV infections and treatment, STIs, including HPV, number of health facilities offering SRHR services and schools offering sexuality education, as well as number of health workers and budget allocated to health. The scorecard also tracks key legal issues which impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Milestones were set for 2025 and the scorecard’s traffic light system indicates green for progress and red for regression, against a baseline set in 2019.

Explore the scorecard

The SADC SRHR Strategy (2019 – 2030) serves as a policy and programmatic framework for Member States to ensure that all people in SADC enjoy a healthy sexual and reproductive life, have sustainable access, coverage, and quality SRHR services, information, and education; and can fully realize and exercise their SRHR. The 16 Member States in SADC include: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

About 2gether 4 SRHR:

2gether 4 SRHR is a joint United Nations Regional Programme, in partnership with Sweden, which brings together the combined efforts of UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO to improve the sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) of all people in Eastern and Southern Africa. For more information and for a one-stop-shop of information and resources in Africa, visit the SRHR Knowledge Hub.

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AMA, Environment

2030 Water, Sanitation and Climate resilience goals: 5 critical things African Ministers can do now

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NAIROBI, Kenya, 10 December 2025-/African Media Agency(AMA)/-There is a $130 billion annual investment gap hindering the world’s mission to achieve universal access to climate-resilient water and sanitation services by the year 2030, Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) reports. In Africa, the gap is estimated at no less than an additional $30 billion annually.

In October 2025, nearly 50 ministerial level delegates worldwide gathered in Madrid at the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting to discuss ways to better integrate water, sanitation, and climate action goals at a governmental level.

For participating African delegates, this was an opportunity to include African perspectives on the global stage ahead of COP30 and the UN 2026 Water Conference. It was also essential to help establish the globe’s five-pillar guidelines.

5 critical Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Climate statistics in Africa calling for critical measures

As outlined in the ensuing “High-Level Leaders Compact – the Madrid Commitment to Action” by SWA, these five priorities from an African perspective are as follows:

Political and Institutional Integration

Priority #1: Embed water, sanitation, hygiene, and climate priorities into national adaptation plans, climate commitments, and development strategies.

In 2018, 71% of African countries were in the medium-low to very low categories of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) implementation, according to a report by UNEP. Fast forward to 2024 and UNEP’s “Progress on implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management” report revealed that none of the African sub-regions are on track to achieve the aspirational global SDG 6.5 target of ‘Very High’ (91-100%) IWRM implementation by 2030.

There lies a critical gap in governance due to these stagnations that isolated sector projects cannot fix. It’s time for nations to move beyond fragmented management and operationalize political and institutional integration.

Ministers must work to embed water, sanitation, and hygiene mandates directly into central national adaptation plans and broader development strategies. Governments have the power to secure the political leverage and institutional coherence required to turn these IWRM metrics around, to accelerate progress and reach the SDG targets.

Inclusive, Rights-Based Services

Priority #2: Use data to identify and reach the most vulnerable populations, children, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and displaced communities, while promoting transparency and community participation. 

Despite progress recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, the latest Joint Monitoring Report from UNICEF and the World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 4 people still lack safely managed drinking water and 2 out of 5 people lack safely managed sanitation.

As women, girls, and children remain the most vulnerable, these stats are concerning for Africa.

The failure to achieve universal access is a clear indication that broad, generalized interventions are not sufficient. To close this gap and prioritize those suffering most, governments must immediately implement inclusive and rights-based services.
 

The only way to move beyond these alarming statistics is to use high-quality, disaggregated data to accurately identify, locate, and track the concerned underserved communities and groups of people. This should ensure that future WASH investments are precisely targeted, transparent, and driven by the needs of the most vulnerable.

Resilient Systems and Risk Management

Priority #3: Incorporate climate and environmental risk assessments into planning, and promote nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration.

A September 2025 publication by the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) underlined the direct link between climate change, water scarcity, and displacement on the continent.

The study asserts that 2 million people in East Africa have been displaced due to drought and conflicts, with migration into urban areas straining cities like Nairobi.

In 2024, Earth.org warned that climate change could displace up to 700 million people in Africa by 2030 due to increasing water scarcity and related shocks. With the figure currently standing at 400 million, the High-Level Leaders Compact priority for resilient systems and risk management is legitimately high on the agenda.

To build true resilience against these shocks, leaders must move beyond reactive measures and proactively incorporate climate and environmental risk assessments into all levels of urban planning. Investing in nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration is essential to stabilizing these vulnerable regions.

The approach is straightforward: Address the root environmental degradation driving these migration crises.

Sustainable and Innovative Financing

Priority #4: Mobilize domestic and international resources through green and blue bonds, results-based financing, and public-private partnerships.

According to the World Bank, public-private partnerships account for only 3 percent of total water sector investment in Africa, with state-owned enterprises and public entities providing the remaining 97 percent of investment. This is far below private participation in other infrastructure sectors, underscoring the need for stronger mechanisms to attract and sustain investment in water.

Unlocking greater resources will require improving incentives for investors, strengthening project pipelines, and deploying targeted de-risking instruments that reduce uncertainty while safeguarding public value. Ensuring coherence with the High-Level Leaders Compact on Water Security and Resilience will further help align public and private action.

With these conditions in place, tools such as green and blue bonds, results-based financing, and well-structured public-private partnerships can more effectively expand financing for water security and sanitation systems.

Political Leadership and Accountability

Priority #5: Ensure that water and sanitation remain at the top of global and national policy agendas, including through mutual accountability frameworks such as those facilitated by Sanitation and Water for All (SWA).

Sub-Saharan Africa loses an estimated 5% of its annual GDP due to poor sanitation, lack of water or its contamination. Highlighting the seriousness of the matter and the responsibility of ministers, a preamble statement from the High-Level Leaders Compact on Water Security & Resilience declares:

“We acknowledge that fragmented policies, weak coordination, and insufficient and inefficient financing continue to challenge progress. Addressing these barriers requires strengthened political leadership, inclusive whole-of-government collaboration, inclusive governance, and more predictable and efficient investments that meet the needs of all people, particularly the most vulnerable.”

In the aftermath of the Madrid Commitment on Water Security, Sanitation & Climate Resilience

As the rest of the world, African ministers have pledged to “collaborate with Sanitation and Water for All partnership to track progress through systematic monitoring, aligned with national systems and global frameworks like SDG 6 indicators, broad multi-stakeholder collaboration, and continual adaptive learning.”

The compact produced at the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting has been endorsed by 29 states, more than half of which are African.

Indeed, Burundi, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda and The Gambia joined the African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW), the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in the Water and Sanitation Sector (CONIWAS), UNICEF and 14 other organizations in endorsing and pushing for the implementation of the five global priorities identified in the High-Level Leaders Compact on Water Security & Resilience.

The door remains open for more governments to join this compact and express their serious intention to achieve sanitation and water security as well as resilience which is needed for healthy populations, economic development, and environmental sustainability

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Sanitation and Water for All (SWA)

About Sanitation and Water for All (SWA)

For 15 years, the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership, hosted by UNICEF, has united governments, civil society, private sector actors, and development partners to advance the human rights to water and sanitation for all. With over 500 partners worldwide, SWA drives political commitment, strengthens institutions, and promotes accountability to achieve lasting results.

For more information on the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting (SMM), visit www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/SMM2025.

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AMA, Health, Technology

Enhancing partnership for health financial hardship protection

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Geneva, Switzerland, 27 November 2025-/African Media Agency(AMA)/-To strengthen health systems and help protect people from economic strain when seeking care, the World Health Organization (WHO) in the African Region and the African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC) are deepening collaboration to improve how countries measure health spending and monitor financial protection.  

By enhancing health data quality, this partnership is helping governments make informed decisions to ensure resources are used where they matter the most, advancing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

A series of trainings organized by WHO and STATAFRIC are equipping countries with the practical skills to compile and interpret National Health Accounts (NHA) using the System of Health Accounts (SHA 2011) framework. This global standard provides a clear picture of health spending and supports more responsive, people-centred health systems.

To build these skills, a three-day workshop took place in Accra, Ghana, in September 2024. Representatives from 18 Anglophone Member States joined technical experts and international partners to explore how to harmonize health expenditure reporting and improve collaboration between national statistical offices and ministries of health.

Participants discussed global health-spending trends, exchanged country experiences and identified pathways to strengthen institutional coordination, highlighting both shared challenges and opportunities for stronger collaboration to develop harmonized data standards for Africa.

“By speaking a common statistical language, African countries can better understand where and how resources are used and how to channel them to protect their populations,” said Dr José Awong Alene, Head of the Statistical Systems Coordination and Innovation Division at STATAFRIC.

Following the Accra workshop, a second sub-regional training convened in Dakar, Senegal, from 14 to 17 October 2025. Co-organized with the World Bank, the workshop gathered experts from 25 francophone countries to strengthen skills in monitoring financial protection in health, including analysing household survey data to identify when health costs become a barrier to care.

Using STATA, a software that helps analyse large sets of data, the groups reflected on what the numbers reflect about access to care. Real examples and policy discussions underscored how clearer and disaggregated data can help countries understand who is most at risk of financial hardship and use this information to support more equitable health decisions.

“In Africa, millions of families still face financial hardship due to health spending. Reliable, comparable data are essential to guide policies that ensure no one is left behind,” noted Dr Mady Ba, Head of Emergencies at the WHO Office in Senegal.  

In 2026, the collaboration will expand with two additional workshops for francophone and anglophone countries. These sessions aim to help countries translate stronger data into stronger policies, reinforcing the connection between health financing information, policy and action. This initiative aligns with the African Union’s Strategy for the Harmonization of Statistics in Africa (SHaSA 2) and Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, while supporting progress towards SDG 3.8 on universal health coverage and financial protection.  

“Reliable data are the backbone of effective health systems. Through this collaboration with STATAFRIC, we are empowering countries to produce and use credible evidence that drives smarter investments, strengthens accountability and ultimately improves people’s lives,” emphasized Dr Adelheid Werimo Onyango, Director of the Health Systems and Services Cluster, WHO Regional Office for Africa.

This joint effort equips countries with the tools they need to generate trusted, comparable statistics to inform evidence-based decision-making, increase domestic investment in health and accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage. It also reflects the One African Approach to Data, bringing regional and global institutions together to ensure every country has the capacity to measure what truly counts: people’s health and well-being.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of World Health Organisation

About STATAFRIC 
The African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC) leads the coordination and harmonization of statistical systems across the continent. It works closely with regional and international organizations to ensure Africa-wide comparability and quality of data for monitoring the Agenda 2063 and the SDGs. 

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AMA, Environment

African Leaders at the Forefront of Water and Climate Resilience at the Global Summit in Madrid

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MADRID, Spain, 20th October 2025 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/-As droughts, floods, and water crises intensify across the continent, African ministers and leaders are mobilizing ahead of the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting (SMM), taking place on October 22–23 in Madrid. This political convergence marks a decisive step in the continent’s collective effort to secure water security and strengthen climate resilience.

A continental mobilization in the face of the hydro-climate emergency

Organized by the Government of Spain, UNICEF, and the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership, the meeting brings together representatives from over 60 countries under the theme “Breaking Silos: Uniting Political Leadership to Integrate Water, Sanitation and Climate Action.”

Figures from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme highlight the magnitude of the challenge: nearly 400 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to safe drinking water, while over 700 million are without safely managed sanitation. These deficits are compounded by climate change, from droughts in the Horn of Africa to flooding across the Sahel.

Concrete political commitments to turn challenges into opportunities

The summit aims to deliver three key strategic outcomes. The High-Level Pact on Water Security and Resilience will enable African governments to turn their ambitions into measurable commitments, supported by a Mutual Accountability Mechanism ensuring transparent monitoring of progress.

The event also serves as a springboard toward COP30 in Brazil and the UN 2026 Water Conference, ensuring that African perspectives shape global water-climate policies.

Africa as a laboratory of hydro-climate innovation

The continent continues to demonstrate its capacity for innovation through ambitious initiatives, from Kenya’s investments in climate-resilient water infrastructure, to Ghana’s universal sanitation drive, and Ethiopia’s efforts to integrate water and climate planning.

SMM 2025 will amplify the exchange of experiences and accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

“African governments have proven that when political will meets partnership, results follow,” said Muyatwa Sitali, Acting Executive Director of SWA. “Africa’s leadership will be critical in achieving lasting change.”

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Sanitation and Water for All (SWA)

About Sanitation and Water for All (SWA)

For the past 15 years, the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership, hosted by UNICEF, has united governments, civil society, and development partners to advance the human rights to water and sanitation. With more than 500 partners worldwide, SWA drives political commitment and promotes accountability to achieve sustainable results.

For more information on the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting (SMM), visit www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/SMM2025

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Education

CSEC engages Treasury on tax justice for quality education financing 

Ausborn Banda
pupils

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)- Malawi’s education rights body, Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC), this week engaged the Ministry of Finance on tax justice measures wherein revenues collected is channeled to appropriate social sectors, including education.

CSEC engagement with the Treasury is part of the global campaign in which the organization, the Africa Network Campaign for All (ANCEFA) and Action Aid International, are advocating to African leaders to make commitment for quality education enhancement.

The Global Campaign for Education (GCE), with its cooperating partners recently launched the “Call to Action” for increased and sustainable financing to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Four campaign.

The campaign intends to remind world leaders and governments to keep the promise to allocate 20% of the national budget to the education sector in developing countries.

The initiative also advocates for tax justice; in this scenario, the call is for Government earnings (through tax revenues), must be properly used in crucial sectors for the wellbeing of local people; such wellbeing includes the education, health, water and sanitation sectors.

Despite the education sector yearly allocation of the lion’s share of Malawi’s national budget, the sector continually grapples with numerous challenges; among these being pupil-teacher ratio, poor infrastructure, and delayed teachers’ salaries.

This is the reason CSEC with its partners, engaged the Treasury to revisit its commitment towards tax justice measures for quality education sector financing.

“Malawi’s national budget favors the education sector a lot, but the area still faces numerous challenges, which need to be considered with a critical eye for improvement. We want tax measures in collecting revenues to bring serious investments in education.

“When we talk about tax justice, it is when Government properly uses revenues from the public to finance social programs including education. This encourages people to pay more tax as they value their money in proper usage. Let our leaders invest seriously in education as it holds every nation’s future,” urges Lucky Mbewe, CSEC’s Board Vice Chairpeson.

In his response, Secretary to the Treasury, Ben Botolo, acknowledged that there are gaps in quality education, he nonetheless blamed Malawi’s population growth, which is surpassing public finance expenditures.

Botolo observed that increased fertility rate contributes to population booming, which in turn puts pressure on already minuscule resources.

The Treasury Secretary however, assured the public that Government will make use of revenue collected from the public and make proper use of it.

“Malawians must now revisit their reproduction and consider how many children a family needs to have. The nation needs to have laws to regulate child bearing to at least three per family. This will contain the pressure of population growth.

“The Treasury is therefore committed to provide quality services that must tally with the value for money, which people pay through tax. We will make sure that any penny is accounted for. The education sector will always be Government’s priority number one,” assures Botolo.

In this year’s national budget, the Parliament approved an allocation of 18 percent for the education sector, but teachers’ living conditions, and infrastructures remain poor with students in public schools receiving instruction under trees.

The recent UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (GEMR) policy paper, shows that education’s share in total aid declined for six consecutive years.

The report disclosed that aid to education from world’s richest nations dropped from 10% in 2009 to 6.9% in 2015.

The GEMR study has therefore indicated that while developing country partners in Africa made great pledges during the 2014 replenishment, most have not translated the pledges into actual budgets.