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WAG Maputo Plan of Action meeting report
Womens Action Group (WAG)
March 23, 2010

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Introduction

In Africa Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is a constraint for Governments to meet the various MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). Approximately 25 million people are infected with HIV (10 million people in the 15-24 age groups), while 12 million children are orphaned through AIDS related deaths that currently stand at 2 million each year. Services for reproductive health conditions are low in the continent. Statistics indicate about 1 million of the deaths are maternal and new born deaths. Most countries still have unmet need for family planning and with rapid population growth often outstripping economic growth, African countries are unable to meet the growing needs of basic social services (education and health).

In Zimbabwe in accordance with a report published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in conjunction with the University of Zimbabwe and other UN agencies revealed that HIV and AIDS causes 1 in 4 maternal deaths in Zimbabwe; that the maternal mortality rate is now 725 per 100,000 live births, with 25.5% of these deaths being accountable to HIV and AIDS. Bleeding after delivery is the second cause accounting for 14.4% and high blood pressure accounting for 13%.

Against the background of the afore-mentioned problems, in 2006, the Ministers of Health of the African Union (AU) in Maputo approved a framework for implementing the African Union's Continental Framework for Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights. The MPoA was endorsed by African Union Heads of States in 2007 to assist countries to: reduce poverty; achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to improve maternal and child health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The respective national governments have to develop national action plans in line with the MPoA. To complement Government efforts to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health in line with MPoA, SAfAIDS has developed a programme to provide technical and financial support to 15 partners ( GOZ and 3 CSO in Zimbabwe (Women Action Group(WAG), Girl Child Network (GCN), and the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) to implement roadmaps and work-plans around MPoA. The meeting therefore was to provide an opportunity to WAG, GCN and CWGH to raise awareness to the parliamentarians on the MPoA and on the progress in relation to the activities the organizations are undertaking in the framework of the MPoA.

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