The SYP programme, a flagship initiative by the UNFPA Regional Office for East and Southern Africa, empowers adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 to 24 to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, early and unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, early marriage, gender-based violence, and other harmful cultural practices.
Launched in 2013, the programme now covers 12 countries in East and Southern Africa – Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The past nine years have seen great strides but also immense challenges as the recent COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of adolescents and young people. However, we were able to recover from the impact of this global crisis and the SYP programme made significant progress in 2022, placing youth participation, leadership and accountability, bodily autonomy, and ground-breaking innovations at the centre of action in the region. This continues today as we build on the successes and lessons learned from the previous phases of the SYP programme.
