Increasing safe and informed decision making on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights by young people in North Shewa Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is among the poorest countries in the world, according to the HDI of the UNDP (2014) the country ranks 173 out of 187 countries. With 80 million people it has the second largest population in Africa. According to the SRH strategy (2007-2015) young people (10 – 24) are making up almost one third of the total population heavily pressuring the demand for health services, education and employment (FMoH, 2008). Needs in the area of SRHR are very high in Ethiopia. The maternal mortality ratio remains as high as 676 per 100,000 live births (EDHS, 2011). The lifetime risk of a woman dying during pregnancy or childbirth is at 1 in 52, compared to 1 in 10,000 in developed countries (data.worldbank.org). The project aims to contribute to the achievement of maternal health, poverty reduction and gender equity through improved SRHR of young people in North Shewa. The project anticipates the following changes in young people will have increased accessibility, availability and quality of SRHR information; young people will have increased accessibility, availability and quality of SRH services; c) young people will experience a more supportive environment to exercise their SRHR; young people will have more capacity in SRHR project design, planning and implementation; out of school young people will be empowered through income-generating activities. The programme will be implemented between 2015 and 2018 by the SRH Alliance in Ethiopia by Amref Health Africa, Family Guidance association in Ethiopia, YNSD and TaYA.