This news bulletin by AFIDEP is published twice a year to provide our stakeholders with updates of AFIDEP’s programmes and highlight emerging policy issues in capacity strengthening in the use of evidence in policymaking spaces; population change and sustainable development; reproductive, maternal, newborn child, and adolescent health; and transformative education and skills development. The first article on page 2 is titled: Policy dialogue which calls for action to end teenage pregnancies in Kenya. This article highlights the policy dialogue convened on 16 May 2019 in Nairobi to discuss adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health (AYSRH) with a focus on teen pregnancies. In ‘Youth step up to end teen pregnancies the focus is the flagship campaign on the adolescent pregnancy crisis in Kenya . The next article is titled ‘The Africa we want: Universal access to sexual and reproductive health’ traces the link between sexual and reproductive health, better health outcomes and Africa’s socio-economic growth through the demographic dividend. ‘Building researchers capacity to make lung health evidence accessibile and prioritised in policymaking’ focus on the training of researcher on how to communicate research findings to policymakers. The article on universal health coverage discusses how despite the undeniable urgency to implement UHC, Kenya has to get it right. ‘Strengthening democracy in Malawi’ focuses on the training of journalist to report more effectively on Parliament. On page 14 an interview with Martin Phiri covers the push for independence of the Malawi Parliament, its roots and what it means for Malawians.
