Moses Magadza in Gaborone, Botswana
The 5th edition of the Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SARSYC V) ended in Gaborone, Botswana, on Friday, with the delegates challenging authorities to act on health issues affecting them.
In a communiqué dubbed the “Gaborone Declaration,” which was adopted at the conclusion of a three-day conference held from 17-19 July 2024, the participants urged SADC member states to promptly address the issue of new HIV infections among young people and key populations.
They emphasised the importance of strengthening domestic funding and expanding comprehensive, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.
These include HIV testing, treatment, and the provision of prevention commodities such as condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP), medicine taken to prevent contracting HIV.
They advocated for the meaningful inclusion of the voices and lived experiences of people with disabilities in all aspects of the tuberculosis (TB) response strategy.
This includes actively consulting with disability rights organisations, empowering individuals with disabilities to participate in decision-making processes, and making accessibility and inclusion core principles in TB strategies, guidelines, and service delivery models.
“Member states should fully implement and allocate adequate resources for the national and regional strategies, frameworks, and commitments related to HIV and TB prevention, care, and treatment,” they said in the Declaration.
They urged states to strengthen the integration of HIV and TB services, ensuring accessible and youth-friendly service delivery, particularly for marginalised and vulnerable communities.
The students asked development partners, civil society, and other stakeholders to expedite procurement processes and budgeting to achieve the goal of ending TB by 2030.
They advocated for the removal of cumbersome bureaucratic processes in the procurement and supply of essential TB commodities, including diagnostics, medicines, and other health products.
Still on the topic of TB, the youths advised development partners to make sure that screening, diagnosis, treatment, and care services are easily accessible to individuals with disabilities.
They also emphasised the importance of supporting research-based funding for TB programmes, including conducting needs assessments to ensure that budget allocations are responsive to the realistic needs of communities.
In accordance with UNESCO’s Education 2030 Framework for Action and the various programmes and interventions by SADC countries and their development partners, SARSYC V called on SADC Member States to advocate for the continuation of education as a crucial element of the Pact for the Future.
“Removal of education from the successor framework to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030) is a threat to the future of young people,” the students warned.
They called for the allocation of at least 20% of their national budgets to education to ensure adequate, ring-fenced funding for targeted interventions to support marginalised learners, in line with the Maputo Declaration.
The delegates also advocated for the removal of taxes on all materials used to manufacture sanitary products to ensure they are affordable and accessible for the most vulnerable girls, particularly those in rural communities.
Recognising the importance of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action in addressing youth health and wellbeing in Southern Africa, the delegates asked SADC states to accelerate the implementation of the ICPD commitments related to youth health and wellbeing.
“SADC states should institutionalise mechanisms for meaningful and inclusive youth participation and engagement in ICPD review processes and leverage emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to strengthen public health and education systems in the region,” their Declaration said.
The youths challenged SADC states to invest in infrastructure development, including affordable rehabilitation centres, as part of the response to counter drug abuse.
“States must immediately establish a clear roadmap to address drug abuse as an urgent public health and socio-economic challenge that calls for multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary measures for it to be addressed,” they said.
They guided SADC member states to use social media and other platforms to raise awareness, advocate change, and mobilise youths to engage in climate action and SRHR initiatives, as well as leverage the AI revolution to develop sustainable solutions that address fundamental issues affecting young people.
A research indaba, held during the conference, provided a platform for young people to showcase their research on issues that affect them. In this context, the delegates enjoined development partners to invest in research to generate data and evidence that informs effective drug abuse response strategies and other priorities.
“Civil society organisations and donors should provide sustained support and resources to empower youth-led initiatives and networks that address the intersections of climate change, SRHR, and youth empowerment,” they said.
The youths called on states to allocate resources to support community-centred research initiatives led by young people to address pressing issues such as juvenile delinquency, mental health, and other social determinants of sexual reproductive health (SRH).
Among other issues, the Gaborone Declaration exhorts policymakers to provide timely and meaningful feedback to young people on the submissions, recommendations, and solutions they propose through research and advocacy efforts.
“We ask for transparent mechanisms for policymakers to communicate with young researchers and advocates, acknowledging their contributions and outlining how their inputs have been incorporated into policy decisions,” they said.
On access to education, the Declaration calls for the removal of obstacles that prevent young people, especially those from marginalised communities, from fully leveraging their education to improve their lives and contribute to society.
“Policymakers must move beyond traditional quality education metrics like literacy rates and instead track the real-world utility and applicability of the skills acquired by young people through the existing education system,” the youth stated.
The students handed the Gaborone Declaration over to SADC Parliamentary Forum secretary general, Boemo Sekgoma, for consideration and action by the region’s lawmakers.
In accepting it, Sekgoma told the students that the issues raised were “important and relevant.” She assured the conference that the SADC PF, which brings together fifteen SADC national parliaments and about 3700 Members of Parliament, would carefully consider and act on the Declaration.
“I promise you that you will hear from us, and we will make sure that at the next committee session, we invite you or your representatives to come and table these matters yourselves,” she said to applause.
She said the SADC PF had researchers in at least ten national parliaments under a SIDA-funded SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project that is dealing with a range of issues, including the ones raised in the Declaration. She pledged the collaboration of researchers and MPs.
Sekgoma encouraged youth to work with and through their national parliaments.
“We believe in parliaments. Parliaments cannot survive without your voice,” she said.
The conference drew approximately two hundred delegates from Angola, Botswana, the DRC, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
