In December 2024, a National Sexual Health Strategy 2025–2030 was launched for public consultation until February 2025, updating the first strategy of its type, which had been published 14 years previously.
The impetus and context for the drafting of this updated strategy included a confluence of different factors, such as a rapidly changing socio-cultural environment, a demographic shift in terms of increased migrant workforce, significant legislative changes concerning legal gender recognition, and non-discrimination legislation on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
The vision for the Sexual Health Strategy 2025–2030 is in line with that for the WHO European Region, whereby “all the Maltese population regardless of sex, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic condition, culture and ethnicity, and legal status is enabled and supported to achieve sexual and reproductive health and well-being with a focus on respect of one’s sexual and reproductive rights and a commitment to create an enabling environment through intersectoral action and by tackling inequalities.”
This consultation document was developed following a period of desktop research into current available evidence together with stakeholder consultation. It was also based on the outcomes of the nationally representative National Sexual Health Survey commissioned and carried out in 2022/2023 to update the evidence on the sexual health and well-being of the Maltese resident population. Consistency with the strategic direction across government was established through a pre-consultation exercise, which included other government ministries and agencies to ensure alignment in terms of terminology and proposed measures.
The initial chapter of the strategy deals with the policy context, methodology and alignment with international documents. It also provides details about the stakeholder engagement in the development and drafting phase. The strategy is subsequently divided into five priority areas for action with each area listing the overarching measures that fall within that subsection: The first priority relates to health promotion, prevention and education. The second priority area relates to medical services, including screening, management, treatment, and the organisation of health services. The corresponding section of the strategy document also provides a focus on the testing, clinical management and treatment of HIV. The third priority area focuses on the reproductive health needs of the Maltese population, including family planning and contraception. The fourth priority area highlights the specific needs of certain key populations with regards to STIs, including HIV. The key populations specifically considered in the strategy include men who have sex with men, persons involved in sex work, persons who reside in custodial settings or residential group settings, migrants, persons who experience sexual violence, and transgender or gender diverse persons. The final priority area of this document relates to governance, research and innovation and covers the proposals for further research and the proposed composition of the steering group tasked with implementing the strategy. This section outlines how digital technologies and AI can be used to advance various aspects of the existing and proposed sexual health services.
A range of stakeholders have provided inputs to the new strategy, including NGOs representing and defending the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community and of people living with HIV. While welcoming the updated strategy and its evidence-based approach, there are calls for the definition of clear deadlines, budget lines and additional actionable policies to facilitate its implementation.
After evaluation of all inputs collected during the public consultation, a final document will be published.