Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and HIV Prevention, Care and Support: Capacity Statement, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Region

Adolescents across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region continue to face significant sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV-related challenges, driven by systemic inequities, gender-based violence, harmful practices, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Save the Children, with over a century of global expertise, is committed to advancing adolescent-responsive SRHR and HIV programming in partnership with governments, civil society, and youth-led organizations. Through multi-country initiatives such as SRHR/HIV Knows No Borders, long-term sponsorship programs, and country-specific projects, Save the Children strengthens health systems, expands access to comprehensive sexuality education, and empowers adolescents as agents of change. Central to this work is a localization strategy that shifts power and resources to local actors, embeds child-led advocacy, and promotes sustainable, community-driven solutions. By integrating rights-based, gender-transformative, and evidence-based approaches, Save the Children fosters equitable access to services, dismantles harmful norms, and drives systemic change to ensure that every child and adolescent in the SADC region survives, learns, and thrives.