Project profile — Healthy Women and Girls in Nampula Province

This project aims to improve the sexual, reproductive, maternal and neonatal health of up to 38,000 direct beneficiaries, mostly women and adolescent girls, with inadequate access to appropriate health care services in three districts in Nampula Province. It also seeks to reduce child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) and early or unwanted pregnancy. Project activities include: (1) conducting radio programmes on sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, early pregnancy and CEFM, as well as mobilization events in 60 villages; (2) establishing women’s, men’s and adolescent girls’ and boys’ groups and clubs to promote knowledge of health issues and life skills; (3) working with community elders who facilitate traditional initiation rites for adolescents to help protect girls’ sexual and reproductive rights; (4) training health care providers on gender-responsive and adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health, maternal and neonatal health services; and (5) conducting provincial coalition meetings to identify solutions to end child marriage and develop a provincial action plan on CEFM topics, including early pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and maternal and neonatal health.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) reduced risks associated with Child Early Forced Marriage (CEFM) and early pregnancy among women, especially girls 15-19 years, and (2) improved provision of healthcare services to women and adolescent girls in 3 districts in Nampula province.

Results achieved as of March 2021 include: (1) provided training to 70 health facility-based providers (of whom 59 are women and 11 are men) and a total of 410 community health providers on coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention and response; (2) provided orientation to 284 community leaders (of whom 72 are women and 212 are men), who disseminated COVID-19 related information to 209,558 people in 62 communities of Nampula province; and (3) provided COVID-19 prevention equipment and supplies for seven health facilities in Nampula province.