Sexual and Reproductive Health

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]

  • WHO Guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being English [pdf]

  • WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, 2022 revision: executive summary English [pdf]

  • Sexual and reproductive health interventions in the WHO UHC Compendium English [pdf]

  • Self-administration of injectable contraception English [pdf]

  • Inequality monitoring in sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health

  • Questions and Answers: COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy English [pdf]

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the context of COVID-19 in the African Region: rapid assessment of continuity of essential services

As part of the fight against COVID-19 and its adverse effects on WHO African region countries' health systems, regular assessments of the provision of sexual and reproductive health and rights services are conducted. They aim to identify gaps in the availability of essential SRHR services to populations focusing on safe abortion, post-abortion care, and family planning in the African Region in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

They serve as decision-making and resource mobilization tools to ensure that people in the WHO African Region have access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services at all times. 

Five round has been conducted:

  • Round 1 covered the period of February – May 2020: 17 countries 
  • Round 2 covered the period of June - September 2020: 15 countries
  • Round 3 covered the period of October 2020 – January 2021: 17 countries 
  • Round 4 covered the period of February – May 2021: 25 countries 
  • Round 5 covered the period of June – September 2021: 21 countries 

The main data source used by countries was HMIS/DHIS2.

Related Documents

  • Rapid assessment of continuity of SRHR services in the context of COVID-19 in the African Region: Article: English [pdf]

  • Rapid assessment of continuity of SRHR services in the context of COVID-19 in the African Region (round 1 and 2): Infographics: English [pdf]

  • Rapid assessment of continuity of SRHR services in the context of COVID-19 in the African Region (round 4): Results' presentation [pdf]

  • Guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease English [pdf]

  • Maintaining essential health services: operational guidance for the COVID-19 context English [pdf]

  • WHO online consultation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Planning for rapid dissemination and implementation of the WHO Consolidated Guideline on Self-Care Interventions to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights in the African Region English [pdf] French [pdf]

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