Eswatini

In 2022, Eswatini focused on scaling up HIV prevention, treatment services, and socioeconomic empowerment for adolescents and young people, with 13 350 of them trained on HIV prevention, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and rights (SRHR), in partnership with the government and nongovernmental organizations (UNICEF). In addition, 800 adolescents in religious settings were capacitated in HIV prevention and SRHR (UNFPA) and 1505 community health volunteers received a comprehensive package of HIV and SRHR services while five targeted healthcare facilities received computer tablets to strengthen services; 1690 motivators were also trained on HIV, non-communicable diseases, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (World Bank).

The Education Plus initiative was launched to further empower adolescent girls and young women and reduce their risk of HIV infection (UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, UNESCO, UNAIDS Secretariat). To address the high HIV incidence and unintended pregnancies among adolescents and young women, 18 teachers also received training on delivering comprehensive sexuality education to provide education for 5152 learners and mentor 266 other teachers in their respective schools (UNESCO).

As part of a health system strengthening project, the newly launched MobiSAM, a public service monitoring platform reached 981 adolescents to rate their access to HIV and SRHR services (World Bank). An estimation of populations at risk of HIV infection in Eswatini also generated evidence for HIV prevention programming in the National Multisectoral HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework (NSF). HIV screening tools were developed and HIV self-testing process flow and pharmacy distribution to improve access and quality of HIV testing and counselling services (UNAIDS Secretariat). The National Health Accounts (NHA) was conducted to analyse available resources and spending for the national health system, including the HIV response (UNAIDS Secretariat). In addition, 30 nongovernmental organizations were mobilized through a collaboration with the Ministry of Tinkhundla, Administration and Development to push for the formal adaptation of the Decentralization Bill, which will improve access to HIV and other public services (UNDP).