Sexual and reproductive health for young women in Inhambane Mozambique

The project aims to establish model communities of care incorporating innovative interventions at the community and health system levels. These community and women-centered health service sites aim to serve as exemplars showcasing improved outcomes. The primary focus is on young women in 30 partner communities across 6 districts in Inhambane Mozambique treating them as the primary beneficiaries and involving all community members ethically and strategically. It aims to engage both women and men young people in health committees and income-generating initiatives drawing on over two decades of collaborative work the province including partnerships with the Inhambane Provincial Directorate of Health (DPSI). Project activities include: (1) promoting gender balance and empowerment through various initiatives such as workshops youth committees reproductive health education women-led economic projects improved sanitation community caregivers and better transportation for pregnancy care; (2) improving data-related skills and knowledge among health professionals integrating the use of data into local decision-making introducing near-mortality concepts into provincial death assessments and disseminating research findings to strengthen the quality of SRHR services with an emphasis on gender equity; and (3) enhancing the data-related knowledge and skills of healthcare workers the use of data in local decision-making integrating near-miss concepts into provincial death audits and sharing research findings to improve gender-responsive SRHR care services.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased uptake of health services and addressing non-medical factors affecting sexual reproductive and maternal health and rights (SRHR); (2) improved health system capacity to provide quality SRHR care; and (3) increased research-based information to inform gender-responsive SRHR care services.