Climate Shocks Endanger Sexual and Reproductive Health Services, Activists Say

Experts warn that droughts, floods and extreme weather are disrupting reproductive health care in Zimbabwe, urging that sexual and reproductive health and rights be integrated into national climate adaptation and disaster-response plans (image source)

Civil-society advocates and health experts are calling for urgent integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) into climate adaptation and disaster-response planning, warning that Zimbabwe’s climate shocks are already disrupting maternal care, family planning and protection services for women and girls.

Recent studies and field reports link droughts, floods and other extreme weather to a range of SRHR crises: damaged infrastructure and flooded roads have cut access to antenatal and emergency obstetric care; food shortages and displacement have increased transactional sex and early marriages; and disrupted supply chains have limited access to contraceptives, antiretrovirals and menstrual products — all heightening maternal morbidity and unintended pregnancies in vulnerable populations.

Programmes piloted in Chimanimani and Masvingo show that climate-sensitive interventions — including mother shelters near clinics, youth-friendly services and pre-positioned SRHR supplies — can mitigate these risks when woven into broader resilience and emergency planning.

Advocates argue that national climate legislation and early-warning systems must include SRHR indicators and ring-fenced funding for reproductive health commodities to ensure timely responses for pregnant women, survivors of gender-based violence and adolescents. They further emphasise the need for community-led monitoring and stronger coordination among health, environment and social services ministries to translate climate alerts into sustained service delivery.

Donor representatives and parliamentary committees have begun recognising the nexus between climate and SRHR, urging gender-responsive adaptation budgets and improved data systems to track the compounding risks faced by marginalised groups. If implemented, these reforms could make emergency responses more equitable and reduce preventable maternal and reproductive-health harms as climate impacts intensify.