Strengthening data systems to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights in sub-Saharan Africa

The advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in sub-Saharan Africa is fundamentally hindered by "health data poverty".1 While many high-income countries have made significant progress in strengthening their health data systems, sub-Saharan Africa continues to face significant gaps.1-3 Despite the critical need for evidence-based practice, the regional data landscape is characterized by a pervasive ignorance regarding the intrinsic value of accurate data. Many countries in the region lack regular population censuses, reliable health records, and functional civil registration and vital statistics systems.