Advancing Health Rights Through Oversight: SADC-PF’s SRHR and HIV Governance Framework

Abstract

This article examines the role of parliamentary oversight in advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and HIV governance within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Utilising a qualitative, document-based methodology, the study conducts a descriptive and comparative analysis of programme implementation data from the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) SRHR, HIV, and AIDS Governance Project (October 2024 to November 2025). The analysis, supported by data triangulation and thematic coding in Atlas.ti 24, reveals that regional-level institutional strengthening and capacity-building initiatives anchored on SADC-PF’s model laws, peer-learning platforms, and regional norms serve as conduits through which national Parliaments can enhance their legislative, budgetary, and oversight functions. Without this regional catalyst, national-level capacity-building alone is insufficient to drive harmonised, sustained health governance reform. The findings demonstrate significant achievements in legislative reform, increased health budget allocations, and strengthened accountability mechanisms across 13 member parliaments. This Article introduces a conceptual framework derived from the SADC-PF’s approach, illustrating the causal pathway from capacity-building inputs to tangible governance outcomes and, ultimately, the advancement of health rights. The study concludes that regional parliamentary forums are critical platforms for harmonising norms, fostering peer learning, and catalysing national-level reforms, thereby creating a more conducive environment for the realisation of universal access to SRHR and HIV services, in alignment with SDG 3. This research provides a replicable model for parliamentary strengthening and offers evidence-based recommendations for enhancing health governance in the Global South.