The Increasing Importance of Reproductive Health in African Countries

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The Increasing Importance of Reproductive Health
in African Countries
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• Improving reproductive health in Africa is
  essential for stopping the spread of STIs and for
  the promotion of sexual health. Additionally, the
  spread of HIV has reached epidemic proportions in
  several countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
  Governments are waking up to the importance of
  reproductive health and how it can play a role in
  combating the spread of HIV. In such a situation,
  doctors who have done their MBBS and an
  upgradation course in reproductive health are
  needed. Importantly these doctors help meet the
  increasing demand for reproductive health
  specialists in Africa.
• The Current Situation of Reproductive Health in
  Africa
• There is no ignoring the fact that improving
  sexual and reproductive health in Africa is a
  daunting challenge. News reports regularly show
  how countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) must
  constantly battle a complex web of problems.
  Additionally, reproductive health policy issues
  are often hindrances rather than being helpful.
  Helpfully Sexual and Reproductive Health and
  Rights (SRHR) are increasingly being included as
  human rights in the continent. However, in many
  countries, sufficient reproductive health policy
  issues have not been implemented to guarantee
  high-quality SRHR.

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• Without access to SRHR, adolescents and young
  women (AGYW) are most at risk. AGYW are denied
  healthcare services, are subject to female
  genital mutilation (FGM), and are forced into
  marriage or sterilizations. Additionally, various
  economic factors and regional politics combine
  with reproductive health policy issues to
  complicate matters in the SSA region. This, in
  turn, causes problems that impact the efficient
  delivery of sexual and reproductive health (SRH)
  services in Africa.
• Even when SRHR are provided in Africa, women and
  adolescents often cannot access them freely. Many
  women also do not have enough information about
  SRH services available to them. So there is an
  urgent need for improving the sexual and
  reproductive health of the population, and
  specifically AGYM.
• The high prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the East
  and Southern Africa (ESA) region is also
  alarming. Current estimates show that over 54
  percent of the worlds population who have HIV
  live in the region. As a result, in 2018, the
  area had 20.6 million people living with HIV, of
  which 800,000 are newly infected. With a large
  percentage of the population in ESA infected with
  HIV. The economic and social development of
  various countries has been adversely impacted.

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Measures Being Undertaken by Governmentsto
Improve Reproductive Health

• Currently, the East and Southern Africa (ESA)
  region is home to 6.2 of the worlds population.
  However, according to UNAIDS, the region was
  responsible for almost half of new HIV infections
  globally in 2018. Also, the 2016 UNAIDS report
  has shown that attempts to reduce new HIV cases
  among young people have not met expectations. As
  the number of new HIV cases has not decreased
  according to expectations and instead plateaued
  in 2015. These numbers indicate that the UNAIDS
  goal of ending the AIDS epidemic is not going to
  be met by 2030.

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• Research has shown that by 2050, the SSA region
  will be home to 605 million people aged between
  10 and 24. Governments in the region are
  therefore attempting to improve reproductive
  health, especially among AGYW. As AGYW are among
  the high-risk groups when it comes to contracting
  HIV and other STIs. However, governments in the
  SSA region have not achieved much so far in terms
  of improving AGYW reproductive health. According
  to the WHO, however, a notable achievement has
  been the reduction in mother-to-child
  transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.

By missing goals set by international
organizations, governments in SSA have been
unable to make big improvements in reproductive
health. Currently, however, governments in
sub-Saharan Africa, especially in the eastern and
southern Africa (ESA) region, are rising to the
challenge. Importantly, they are combating the
spread of HIV by focusing on improving SRH
services. Many of these governments have also
reexamined reproductive health policy issues and
improved them. Additionally, many have instituted
National AIDS programs to deal with the
challenges posed by the AIDS epidemic.
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Measures Needed to Improve Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Prevent STIs

• The WHO has outlined that the current coverage of
  SRH services cannot deal with STIs in the region.
  So there is a need for expanding the current
  coverage of SRH services and doing so at a faster
  pace. Only then will the African region be able
  to implement the WHO strategy on STIs outlined
  for the years 2016-2021. Better implementation
  will ensure that the public health problems
  created by STIs are handled and global targets
  achieved by 2030.
• Additionally, AGYW is more susceptible to
  contracting HIV, compared to boys and young men
  of the same age. This trend is seen in many
  countries that fall within the ESA and is
  supported by statistics collected by Avert from
  the region. Especially in South Africa, HIV rates
  are four times higher in young women compared to
  men of similar age. Therefore, improving
  reproductive health among AGYW who fall within
  the ages of 1524 is vital.

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• Overall improving reproductive health is a
  difficult process. Additionally, the process is
  heavily dependent on governments creating the
  right policies, especially in the ESA region.
  This is the main reason why several governments
  have adopted a new formula when crafting
  reproductive health policy issues. Importantly
  these policies have taken into account gender,
  economic, and social factors. By taking these
  factors into account, the instances of AGYW being
  infected by STIs can be lessened.
• Research is also being conducted to find new ways
  to reach out to AGYW in ESA. If successful, these
  efforts will result in a positive impact on AGYW
  health region-wide. Additionally, in the long
  run, it will help in reducing the number of new
  HIV infections.

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The Importance of Reproductive Health Services
and Steps Needed to Improve It

• As the importance of reproductive health
  services, are becoming evident in African
  countries. These services are increasingly used
  being to combat the AIDS epidemic and help
  high-risk individuals, especially among AGYW. In
  the future, these services will have to be
  improved and supported by governments.
  Additionally, in future technological
  advancements will have to be brought into play
  more often. These advancements will make
  reproductive health services more sophisticated
  and capable of dealing with complex issues.
• Schools and communities are also coming to grips
  with the importance of reproductive health and
  sexual health education. They are expected to
  play a vital role in a comprehensive plan to meet
  the overall health needs of AGYW. As the
  socio-cultural challenges that infringe on SRHR
  are removed, AGYW, both in school and in the
  community, will benefit.

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Doctors and Their Role in Improving Reproductive
Health in Africa

• Delivering SRH services to the population as a
  whole is where the role of a doctor is vital.
  Doctors are also called on to ensure that at-risk
  individuals get the necessary Pre-exposure
  prophylaxis (PrEP). Additionally, medical
  professionals, including doctors, are required
  when HIV testing needs to be done. Doctors are
  also vital in treating STIs and ensure that
  family planning is performed to meet an
  individuals needs. Importantly by treating STIs
  in time, doctors also help in reducing the
  transmission rate of HIV.
• Doctors in Africa are also increasingly being
  called up to conduct voluntary medical male
  circumcision (VMMC). This prescription of VMMC is
  based on research conducted in sub-Saharan
  Africa. The research showed that VMMC reduces
  female-to-male HIV transmission rates by up to
  60. As a result, more countries have been
  rolling out VMMC programs nationally.

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What Advantages Does a Doctor Have in Takingup a
Fellowship?

• MBBS graduates looking to provide reproductive
  health services in the future are increasingly
  choosing an upgradation course. The two-year
  course allows them to specialize in providing
  top-notch SRH services. Importantly, the
  fellowship course allows MBBS students to improve
  their professional qualifications while working.
  The course is designed to minimize interference
  with work-related commitments. The MMSC
  fellowship is also specifically designed and
  delivered in blocks to facilitate easier
  learning. While faculty members evaluate learners
  by holding one-on-one sessions, and online
  examinations are conducted once in six months.

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A Fellowship Course Helps Doctors Improve the
Reproductive Health of Society

• Doctors and medical professionals play and vital
  part in improving reproductive health in the
  general population. The same is true in Africa
  and especially in regions such as ESA that are
  battling epidemic levels of HIV. We ensure that
  our fellowship program contains all the vital
  information necessary for providing superior
  reproductive health services in Africa. Register
  in our fellowship program at Texila American
  University and learn the skills that are needed
  in the region.

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