GABORONE, March 7 — Botswana has achieved great progress in improving sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescents and young people through the Safeguard Young People (SYP) initiative during the past 10 years, said a senior official on Wednesday. Speaking at the 10th SYP Regional Program Steering Committee meeting held in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, Morrison Sinvula, senior consultant in the Ministry of Health, said on behalf of Minister of Health Edwin Dikoloti that through the program the ministry has been able to reach thousands of young people with relevant health services. “This has undoubtedly led to the breaking down of barriers and challenging societal norms that hinder the realization of their sexual and reproductive rights,” he said. The SYP Program is a flagship initiative developed in 2013 by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) Regional Office for Southern Africa, aimed at empowering adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 and 24 to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortion, early marriage, gender-based violence, and harmful cultural practices. SYP is implemented in 12 countries of eastern and southern Africa — Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Despite the success of the SYP Program, Botswana faces significant challenges, including a high school dropout rate due to early and unwanted pregnancies. While HIV awareness has increased from 49.7 percent to 65.5 percent, it remains low among young people, Sinvula said. The two-day meeting, starting on Wednesday, aims to provide effective direction, strategic guidance, and policy for the program.
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