Eswatini has a high mental health burden, ranking second globally in suicide rates (WHO). Poverty, unemployment, stigma, and sexual violence often converge with sexual and reproductive health needs, leaving many people vulnerable to depression, anxiety, trauma, and even self-harm. Despite the scale of the situation, mental health support in Eswatini remains scarce, expensive, and stigmatized.
In this context, MSF’s Sitsandziwe Clinic in Matsapha has become one of the few spaces in the country where people can access both sexual and mental health carefree of charge and without stigma.
Opened in 2023 in the country’s main industrial hub near Manzini, the clinic provides confidential care that integrates medical services for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV prevention, and reproductive health with psychological support. This integration is crucial: many first seek care for sexual health issues but reveal underlying mental health struggles, often linked to stigma, violence, or social pressures.
The clinic serves key populations including factory workers, students, truck drivers, sex workers, LGBTQI+ communities, and out-of-school youth, which are groups often marginalized from traditional health systems.
The need from both men and women has grown rapidly, with some people now traveling from other regions to seek care. Beyond individual consultations, our team runs community leader engagement, and peer-led initiatives to break the silence around mental and sexual health.