Reproductive Health
The Reproductive Health Programme develops guidelines, norms, and standards for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH) in different contexts. The Programme supports Member States in developing, implementing, and evaluating effective policies and strategies related to sexual and reproductive health to improve SRH’s outcomes throughout the life cycle and ensure universal coverage.
Women's Health
Gender inequity, poverty among women, weak economic capacity, sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation (FGM), are major impediments to the amelioration of women's health in the African Region. To ensure that women and men have equal access to the necessary opportunities to achieve their full health potential and health equity, the health sector and the community need to recognize that women and men differ in sex and gender. Because of social (gender) and biological (sex) differences, women and men experience different health risks, health-seeking behavior, health outcomes, and health systems responses. Furthermore, gender social stratifications have resulted in unequal benefits among various social groups of women and men, as well as between women and men. Hence, continued support to Member States to roll out the Women's health strategy and its resolution and integrating gender into health policies and programmes have been the significant achievements.
Women in the African Region are more likely to die from communicable diseases (e.g., HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria), maternal and perinatal conditions, and nutritional deficiencies than women in other regions. Globally, about 468 million women aged 15–49 years (30% of all women) are thought to be anaemic, at least half because of iron deficiency, and most of these anaemic women live in Africa (48–57%). It's reported that 1 in 4 deaths among adult women are caused by NCDs such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Tobacco is a leading risk factor for NCDs, and its use is increasing among young women in the Region.
Related documents
- Sexual and Reproductive Health fact sheet English [pdf]
- Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Newsletters (asekpon [at] who.int (Suscribe to the newsletter)) September 2020 - English [pdf], French [pdf] | October 2020 - English [pdf], French [pdf] | November 2020 - English [pdf], French [pdf] | May 2021 - English [pdf], French [pdf]
- Global health sector strategy on sexually transmitted infections 2016-2021: implementation framework for the African Region English [pdf] | French [pdf]
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WHO Guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being English [pdf]
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WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, 2022 revision: executive summary English [pdf]
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Sexual and reproductive health interventions in the WHO UHC Compendium English [pdf]
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Self-administration of injectable contraception English [pdf]
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Inequality monitoring in sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health
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Questions and Answers: COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy English [pdf]