South Africa: National Department of Health, WHO and partners disseminated new Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights guidelines to National and Provincial stakeholders
In late 2019 and early 2020, the National Department of Health (NDOH) in collaboration with Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) partners and WHO developed a series of SRHR guidelines that include: Clinical guideline for implementation of the choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, Contraception Clinical Guidelines, among others. Similarly, WHO also released Consolidated Guideline on Self-Care Interventions for Health in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in 2019 which is among the most promising new approaches to improve health and well-being, both from a health systems and users perspective.
A national workshop was organized by NDOH in collaboration with WHO Country Office in Cape Town, South Africa from 9-13 November 2020 to disseminate the newly developed National and WHO guidelines. These included the National Clinical guideline for implementation of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, National Contraception Clinical Guidelines etc. and The WHO Consolidated Guideline on Self-Care Interventions for Health in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
The workshop provided inclusive and interactive discussions on SRHR with full participation from the participants, thereby empowering SRHR champions. It gathered 75 participants including participants from: NDOH, all the nine-provincial health departments, SRH partners, Universities, Civil Society Organizations, members of the South Africa Society of Gynecology and Obstetrician (SASOG) in a face to face meeting; while other participants were virtually to maximum familiarization and contribution.
The workshop winded up with the development of provincial SRHR improvement plans for each of the nine provinces in consultation with SRHR partners that support the respective provinces and the National Department of Health.