Last month, I witnessed a breakthrough moment of hope for our sector. At the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) 71st Health Ministers Conference in Maseru, Lesotho, government leaders enacted ECSA/HMC71/R3, a resolution that acknowledges the prevalence of violence against children in the region and commits to using data to drive action against it.

The consensus that led to the February 2023 resolution is significant. It was passed after technical experts, ministers, and other national decision-makers came together and acknowledged that violence against children is a public health issue, and that the region as a whole needs to act to address it.

Part of what makes me so optimistic about this development is that we know resolutions are revisited every two years by the ECSA-HC. So the implementation of ECSA/HMC71/R3 will be tracked and reported on during the 73rd Ministerial Conference. This means that each ECSA country will report on progress in advancing effective action for the health and well-being of children.

Another aspect of the resolution that makes me hopeful is that the resolution encourages ECSA-HC member states to use Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) data to inform policy and programmatic action. It specifically mentions the need for “context-specific data to inform and drive systems-based actions within the health and other key sectors, including integration of VAC Survey indicators into national surveys and data collection efforts.”

The resolution's emphasis on using VACS data to inform action is an essential step toward evidence-based policymaking in the region. This, in turn, can lead to a more coordinated and comprehensive response to violence against children in the region.

VACS are critical in generating data that informs policy and action to prevent and respond to violence against children. To date, VACS have been carried out in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, providing data on 44% of the children, adolescents, and youth (under age 24) living there. Eight of those countries are in the ECSA region.

Notably, Eswatini (previously Swaziland) was the very first country to conduct a VACS, paving the way for other countries in the region.

Moreover, three countries in ECSA (Kenya, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe) have conducted repeat VACS, demonstrating the momentum in the region. Conducting a VACS more than once allows a country to assess the changes in the prevalence of VAC since the first VACS, evaluate ongoing efforts, and identify opportunities for further action to end violence.

Before the Ministerial conference, a Best Practices Forum brought together health scientists, researchers, policy-makers, development partners and other health-sector stakeholders from the ECSA Region and beyond around the issue of violence against children and youth. A VACS evening reception was held in which key achievements and an urgent call for action were delivered by the ECSA Director, representatives of UNICEF Lesotho and a local civil society organization.

During the plenary session, Together for Girls partner University Research Co., LLC (URC) presented the findings of the VACS landscape analysis and showcased how strong government-led multisectoral coordination, as well as developing national responses to the VACS, led to safer outcomes for children. These recommendations were adopted as part of the ECSA-HC resolution.

More countries are taking concrete action to address violence against children. By working together and adopting strategies such as the ECSA-HC resolution, the region is demonstrating a commitment to creating a safer world for all children and adolescents.

For me, this progress not only shows that change is possible but it also inspires hope that we can achieve a future in which every child grows up free from violence. My hope is that ownership and implementation of VACS and post-survey government-led coordinated action will continue in the ECSA region and extend to other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.