National rapid assessment of adolescent and youth friendly services in all nine provinces of South Africa

Taking cognizance of: (1) the critical role that healthy adolescents and youth play in achieving sustainable socio-economic development and (2) the importance of providing adolescent and youth friendly services (AYFS), the South African government through the National Department of Health has, through the years, developed and implemented various programmes such as the National Adolescent Friendly Clinic Initiative or NAFCI (2000-2005), the Youth Friendly Services (2006-2011) and the current revised Adolescents and Youth Friendly Services Model (2013-2017). While notable positive results have been seen in decreasing HIV prevalence among young people, this age group continues to face numerous health problems which are can be attributed to the lack of broad systemic changes; paucity of in-depth analysis of AYFS programming and implementation; and poor utilization of health services by adolescents and young people. Thus UNICEF South Africa in collaboration with the National Department of Health and UNFPA commissioned a rapid assessment of adolescents and youth friendly services (AYFS) in all nine provinces of the country to: i. identify the key factors that facilitate access to, and use of, AYFS in the country. Ii. Identify the key factors that inhibit access to, and use of, AYFS in the country iii. Inform and support the effective operationalization of AYFS, particularly the implementation of the sexual and reproductive health package of services, for both- in and out-of-school youth.