Abstract

Adolescents in Mbare, Zimbabwe are facing numerous challenges in assessing sexual and reproductive health services. The government has failed to support policies that permit access to sexual reproductive health services by adolescents. The research objectives were to explore the role of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care in promoting access to adolescent's sexual reproductive health rights. The researcher used qualitative research methodology. The data was collected from forty-three respondence using key informative interviews and in-depth interviews from the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Child Care, Parliament of Zimbabwe researchers, and adolescents in Mbare. Thematic analysis of information obtained revealed that the existing legal and policy guidelines and negative attitudes from health services providers towards sexually active adolescents have made it difficult for adolescents to visit health centers to seek information and services, especially on their sexual and reproductive health. Henceforth this has promoted a high death rate, early child marriages, unsafe abortion, and transmission of Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) among adolescents in Mbare. The study also found out that the Parliamentary Health Committee has been advocating for reviews to laws that are viewed as retrogressive towards the realization of adolescents sexual reproductive health rights and this will make a leeway to any adolescent in accessing reproductive health services whenever they need it. The study has shown that a need to be done in terms of policy implementation to include adolescents on universal access to health services.