The UNFPA Zimbabwe 2024 Annual Report highlights our collective achievements and the transformative impact of our interventions. Guided by our global vision of ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled, UNFPA Zimbabwe remains committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality, and youth empowerment.
The year 2024 was marked by both progress and challenges. We witnessed significant strides in reducing maternal mortality, expanding access to family planning, and strengthening gender-based violence prevention and response. Through strategic partnerships with the Government of Zimbabwe, development partners, civil society, and communities, UNFPA continued to play a pivotal role in delivering life-saving services, shaping policies, and driving advocacy efforts to ensure that no one is left behind.
Key milestones include the increased availability of modern contraceptives, improved maternal and neonatal health services, and the expansion of youth-friendly health services. Our support for the implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and economic empowerment programs for young people has further reinforced our commitment to enabling a healthier and more empowered generation. We also deepened our efforts in humanitarian settings, ensuring access to SRHR services during emergencies, including our rapid response to the cholera outbreak and the El Nino drought response that affected pregnant women, new mothers and affected communities.
Despite these achievements, challenges remain. Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to threaten the well-being of women and girls, with those in rural areas significantly disadvantaged. The economic and social impacts of climate change and humanitarian crises further strain health systems and essential services. These realities call for strengthened collaboration, innovative solutions, and sustained investment in sexual and reproductive health programs.
Innovation is at the heart of UNFPA Zimbabwe’s mission to advance SRH and end GBV. Through innovations such as the "Not-In-My-Village” campaign we are working to address the challenge of adolescent pregnancy in Zimbabwe. Towards ending and responding to the challenge of GBV innovations such as One Stop Centre (both mobile and static) are ensuring we reach survivors with life saving services. Through innovations such as E-Motive, Midwifery E-Learning and the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) UNFPA is making critical investments to improve maternal health outcomes. These innovations are transforming how we respond to the various challenges affecting women and young people and ensuring that no one is left behind in the journey towards health, dignity, and equality.
As we look ahead, UNFPA Zimbabwe reaffirms its dedication to working with all stakeholders to accelerate progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) commitments. We remain committed to supporting national efforts to achieve universal access to reproductive health services, eliminating maternal deaths, ending gender-based violence, and empowering young people to lead healthy and productive lives.
