Discover DSW
We are committed to achieving our vision of a healthy and sustainable world in which all young people, especially girls and young women, can fully realise their true potential. Central to our mission is championing young people’s access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, realising Africa’s demographic dividend through a rights-based approach. Covid-19 has taught us that a healthy and sustainable world also requires investing in global health innovations to fight current and future epidemics that impact particularly young people.

WHAT WE'RE WORKING FOR
DSW has a mission to support young people living in Africa to overcome the multiple obstacles that stand in their way – in particular issues to do with SRHR, such as gender-based discrimination and coercive practices, and infectious diseases, which disproportionately affect young women and girls. Access to the right health tools and services is key to overcoming these obstacles.

HOW WE WORK
We work hand-in-hand with young people empowering them as actors of change, promote an enabling environment for their self-fulfilment, and foster meaningful and inclusive youth participation in the decisions that affect their lives. We advocate at local, national, and international political levels, including at EU level, to advance SRHR and global health policies wherever we can.

WHO WE WORK FOR
For over 25 years DSW has worked with young people in ensuring access to SRHR information, services, and supplies; supporting community outreach focused on developing peer education, life skills, leadership, advocacy, and economic empowerment.

WANT TO KNOW MORE
LATEST NEWS
It’s time to prioritise women and girls in HIV vaccine research, and the EU must play its part
In 2020, women and girls accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa, with young women in the region twice as likely to be li...
Breaking taboos and shaping the future
Naserian and Marian report from the youth clubs in Tanzania When Naserian first came to the youth club, she couldn’t believe what she was hea...
The largest biomedical research partnership between Europe and Africa launched today
The following article was authored by Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Board Chair of the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP...
Harnessing the potential of research and innovation to protect women from malaria
The following article was co-authored by MEPs Javi López Fernández and Nicolás González Casares, and published online by Spanish newspaper La V...
How to #BreakTheBias and ensure science delivers for women
In recent years, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, we shared the stories of women in science, highlighting their crucial contribution...
Generation Hope
Tanzania has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world. Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW) and its partner organisations are wo...
A roadmap to take AU-EU cooperation on global health R&I to the next level
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed chronic underinvestment in health system strengthening and health research, exposing gaps in global capa...
Ethiopian Youth Coalesce at Annual Review Meeting
On 29 December 2021, leaders and members of DSW’s youth clubs and youth empowerment centers (YEC) gathered for an annual review meeting, at the y...
Tackling NTDs will require closing the gender gap in research and innovation
As we prepare to mark the 3rd World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day, we also embark on the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. While COVID-1...
European Union funding for PRND R&D reached a record high in 2020
The annual G-Finder report, launched on 27 January by Policy Cures Research reveals that European Union (EU) funding for vital research into new va...
We want to ensure that every young person has the power to realise their own future.
By advancing access to and demand for SRHR, we are making this happen.
