Elevating Access to SRHR Information & Services for Youth in Zanzibar

Funded by

EngenderHealth

From: 2024-02-06

To: 2025-07-21

This intervention, implemented by ZAFAYCO with support from EngenderHealth, aims to improve access to and acceptance of Post-Abortion Care (PAC) and broader Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. The project targets both community members and service providers, using inclusive dialogues and strategic communication to challenge stigma and remove barriers that prevent especially young people—particularly girls—from accessing essential services.

A key strategy has been community mobilization and amplification of SRHR information, focusing on raising awareness and increasing demand for services. The intervention promotes open, respectful, and informed conversations around sensitive issues such as abortion and post-abortion care, contributing to a more enabling environment for youth-friendly SRHR services.

The project is being implemented in four key districts within the Urban West Region of Unguja and the South Region of Pemba. Through targeted activities, the project has supported the emergence of youth champions—trained individuals who lead peer mentorship, model positive behaviors, and advocate for informed decision-making and social behavior change among their peers.

To date, the intervention has:

• Engaged over 200 stakeholders, including young people, healthcare providers, and community leaders.

• Facilitated constructive dialogues that have helped reduce stigma and misinformation related to abortion and PAC.

• Mapped and documented lessons and challenges faced by youth in accessing safe services, contributing to learning and future programming.

• Strengthened youth-provider relationships, increasing young people’s confidence and trust in health systems.

• Encouraged better uptake of SRHR services by addressing both knowledge and access gaps.