SRHR Knows No Borders: Taking Health, Hope, and Dignity to Migrants and Young People in Eswatini

For many migrants and young people in Eswatini, accessing sexual and reproductive health services is not simply a matter of visiting the nearest clinic. It is a journey shaped by fear of discrimination, lack of information, distance, and uncertainty about where they belong. For those on the move seeking safety, opportunity, or stability, healthcare often becomes a secondary priority, even when the need is urgent.

It is within this reality that the International Organization for Migration (IOM), collaborated with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the SRHR-HIV Knows No Borders Campaign from 18 to 23 December 2025. The campaign sought to ensure that migrants and young people aged 10 to 35 years could access essential sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services regardless of their background, mobility status, or location.

Throughout the campaign period, the communities of Lomahasha and Maphiveni were transformed into spaces of care, learning, and connection. Central to the campaign was the provision of HIV testing and counselling services, alongside family planning information and services, and access to information on gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence. For many residents of Maphiveni and Lomahasha, these services represented acts of empowerment. Young people were able to ask questions freely, learn about their bodies, and make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health without fear of judgement or stigma.

A defining feature of the campaign was the mobile clinic, which brought healthcare directly to the people. The presence of the mobile clinic reduced physical barriers to care while sending a message that healthcare must move with people, not the other way around. For those who had avoided health facilities due to fear, language barriers, or past experiences of discrimination and stigma, the mobile clinic offered reassurance and accessibility.

For some participants, this was their first-ever HIV test. For others, it was the first time they received accurate, age-appropriate information about contraception and reproductive health. Health workers provided counselling with empathy, ensuring that every individual felt heard and supported. The atmosphere was one of trust built through respectful engagement and culturally sensitive service delivery.

One young migrant reflected on the experience, saying, “Sometimes being a migrant makes you feel invisible. You are always moving, and you don’t know where it is safe to ask for help. This campaign showed me that my health matters.” Such reflections underscore the deep impact of taking services beyond traditional settings and into the lives of those most at risk of being left behind.

Beyond service delivery, the SRHR Knows No Borders Campaign fostered awareness, confidence, and community dialogue. Young people engaged openly in discussions about HIV prevention, family planning, and healthy relationships—topics that are often silenced by stigma and misinformation. By creating spaces for honest conversation, the campaign helped break long-standing taboos and encouraged healthier behaviours.

The collaboration between UNFPA and IOM through this campaign reaffirms the importance of integrated, people-centred approaches to health and information sharing. By recognising the unique vulnerabilities faced by migrants and young people, the campaign responded to the realities of many migrants and young people with solutions that are flexible, inclusive, and rooted in human rights.

As the campaign concluded, it left behind services delivered, informed choices, renewed trust in healthcare systems, and a sense of belonging for those who often exist in the margins of society. Most importantly, it reaffirmed a fundamental principle: sexual and reproductive health is a right, not a privilege and it knows no borders.

Through this campaign and beyond, IOM and UNFPA continue to demonstrate their commitment to ensuring that every person in Eswatini, regardless of age or migration status, can access the care they need to live healthy, dignified, and empowered lives.