You are here

In 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, UNFPA Zimbabwe continued to deliver for women and young people on the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)agenda with generous support from our partners. COVID-19 presented challenges but it also opened up new opportunities, innovations and allowed us to be more agile and think more broadly.

We made substantial investment towards ensuring continuity of maternal health and Gender Based Violence (GBV) service provision within the COVID-19 pandemic context and its associated socio-economic challenges. This was through strengthening existing and building new strategic partnerships and targeted interventions to reach the most vulnerable and address emerging issues.

Significant focus was given on strengthening capacity of health facilities to deliver services in particular the provision of emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC). This included provision of lifesaving equipment such as anaesthetic machines, medicines and drugs, capacity building of health workers and strengthening of the referral system.

In addition, UNFPA would like to appreciate and acknowledge the support from funding partners and the Government of Zimbabwe towards ensuring reproductive health commodity security in the country. In 2021 through advocacy for domestic funding for contraceptives the Government of Zimbabwe made a financial contribution towards contraceptives procurement.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased women and girls risk to GBV and there was notable increase in cases. Support was provided for the establishment of mobile one stop centres in hard to reach areas so that survivors can access comprehensive GBV services. To ensure that students continue accessing information on their SRHR, during the COVID-19 lockdown period, UNFPA and partners supported interactive radio programmes on Life skills, sexuality, and HIV and AIDS. Through the Youth Economic Empowerment programme young people’s opportunities were expanded and at the same time they were equipped with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and make informed decisions. This report highlights these and other results UNFPA and partners achieved in promoting women and girls and young people’s SRHR in Zimbabwe in 2021.

The year 2021 marked the conclusion of the 7th Country Programme of Cooperation with the Government of Zimbabwe. As we go forward we move into the 8th Country Programme for the period 2022 to 2026. The 8th Country Programme was developed in line with national priorities as stated in the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2022-2026).

The 8th Country Programme will focus on consolidating gains made, upscaling and accelerating efforts to improve the health and well-being of women and girls, young people, vulnerable and the marginalised in Zimbabwe.  For there is still unfinished business, in ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in the country. Our focus will be on accelerating efforts towards reducing maternal mortality and morbidity; ending unmet need for family planning; scaling our efforts on GBV prevention and response and expanding opportunities for adolescents and young people including integrating youth economic empowerment in SRH interventions. Focus will also be on data generation and analysis to inform policy and programming and HIV prevention with a focus on key populations, young people and elimination of Mother-to-Child HIV transmission (eMTCT).

UNFPA acknowledges the various partners that continue to support our work – the Governments of Zimbabwe, Britain, China, Japan, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland as well as the European Union, World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development.

We look forward to continued partnerships and collaboration to deliver on this great mandate in 2022 and beyond. We hope that you will find this annual report engaging as you read about the various efforts, successes, challenges and learnings we have had as a Country Office as we strive to reach women and young with critical SRHR and GBV services and information.