SOUTHEAST LIBERIA – UNFPA Representative Bidisha Pillai and Sweden Ambassador to Liberia, Mr. Urban Sjöström speaking to journalists in Harper, Maryland County
The Swedish Embassy delegation and members of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Family have expressed how pleased they are with the progress that has so far been made in the fight to reduce teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and maternal deaths in Southeastern Liberia.
The combined team from the Ministry of Health led by Assistant Minister Dr. (MD) Gorbee Logan, Ms. Elizabeth Hope, Director of School Health, Ministry of Education, UNFPA, led by Country Representative Bidisha Pillai; and officials of the Swedish Embassy, led by Ambassador Urban Sjöström, spent February 27 to March 2nd 2023 touring five Southeastern counties, including Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Maryland and Grand Kru. The mission was to see and hear firsthand how the Swedish Government’s sponsored Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Program through UNFPA and implemented by BRAC and Partners In Health (PIH) in that part of the country, was impacting the lives and health of teens and adolescent girls and boys and women.
Speaking with newsmen and a woman in Harper, Maryland, Amb. Sjöström and Ms. Pillai said Liberians should be proud of themselves for the progress so far in the reduction of teenage pregnancy.
“We, the Swedish Embassy and UNFPA, are in partnership with the Liberian Government and the local authorities, in reducing teenage pregnancies and improving Family Planning. What we have seen so far is that our joint investments and our joint works have yielded results. Well done, Liberia, we are very proud that we are a part of this accomplishment,” the Swedish diplomat stated.
However, he cautioned: “But it’s unfinished! Teenage pregnancies are far too high; maternal mortality is far too high. We need to continue to work together.”
The Ambassador stressed that while they and others, including UNFPA, are going to be there to assist the Liberian Government, there is a need for a “strong Liberian ownership and leadership for this to continue.”
The UNFPA Country Representative, Ms Pillai, also joined the Swedish Ambassador to thank the county health teams and local authorities for the gains so far.
Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Program
The “Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Program” is being implemented in the five counties with funding from the Embassy of Sweden.
It provides adolescents, and young people access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
The program uses a three-pronged approach, including schools, communities, and health facilities, to reach adolescents and young people with sexual reproductive and rights information and services, including family planning.
The school-level intervention includes the provision of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) at select schools by trained teachers and sexual and reproductive health information by peer educators through School Health Clubs. The School Health Clubs team members are mentored to provide sexual reproductive and rights information in schools to adolescents and young people, distribute condoms and refer their peers to the nearest Youth Friendly Center for services.
The community-level intervention works with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to reach out to out-of-school adolescents and young people with Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights information and services.
In the five counties that the team visited, they sat, listened and saw the numbers as the various county health teams presented on the positive impacts of the Swedish people’s taxes that their government is spending some in Liberia to help Liberians live healthy and better.
Sinoe County
The County Health Team of Sinoe said that before the coming of the Universal Access to Sexual Reproductive Health Project in their county, there were lot of issues affecting Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights especially for adolescents and youth, including “Lack of Youth Friendly Corners in all 39 health facilities and lack of knowledge on the provision of youth friendly service delivery.
“Low prevalence rate of contraceptive intake among adolescents and youth due to myths and misconceptions including religious and tradition belief plus an unsafe environment for access.
“High level of expired condoms and increased in rate of STIs among adolescents and young people. Increase teenage pregnancy, maternal and neonatal mortality.”
In Sinoe, the UASRH project in working with five health facilities. It is also in five schools and each of these five schools has two instructors serving as coaches and five students as mentors on the school health club.
The Sinoe health team reported that so far 5939 teens and adolescent between the ages 10 to 24 years, have so far been placed on modern contraceptives.
Grand Gedeh
The county health reports among others that in 2018 when the program began, the county’s teenage pregnancy stood 24.30 percent and that by 2022, it had dropped to 20.10. They also said that for family planning uptake, in 2018 it stood at 4621.6 but last year, it rose up to 8776.6.
River Gee
The River Gee County Health Team presented that through the Universal Access to Sexual Reproductive Health Program, they were able to establish of eight Youth Friendly Centers at eight health facilities, and five outreach sites, school Health rooms, for the provision of ASRH information and services.
They also reported that in 2018, family planning uptake in the county was 918 and by last year, 2022, it has jumped to 1681 uptakes. According to them, at least 21 percent of the 2022 figure are adolescent who come for the services at the YFCs.
Maryland
The Maryland County Health Team said the program’s targets were overall achieved during the implementation period.
“During the period of 2018 to 2022, increased service utilization was seen among both the new and continued acceptors at the eight intervention facilities. However, in 2020 and 2021, low service uptake was seen among the new acceptors compared to the continued users which we hypotheses could be attributed to the impact of COVID-19 that affected services and supplies delivery.”
Grand Kru
Grand Kru’s health system is divided into five health districts – Barclayville, Jraoh, Dorbor, Buah and Trehn, having 24 health facilities including two public hospitals.
The County health team said the project is being implemented in five Youth Friendly Centers within five health facilities.
They further said that in 2022, the number of new acceptors of modern contraceptive methods, including beans, pills, injectables and condoms rose to 10213. While in group 2, including implants and IUCD, the number climbed to 651, and the number of teens and adolescents aged between 10 and 24 years, who got initiated on modern contraceptive method.
Local Authorities and Ministry of Health
Dr. Gorbee Logan, who represented the Ministry of Health on the tour, was joined by the individual local authorities in the five counties to appeal to the Swedish Embassy and UNFPA for the continuation and expansion of the project.
Background
On Tuesday, 18 August 2020, the Embassy of Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund signed an agreement for Sweden’s contribution of forty-three million Swedish Krona (SEK 43,000), approximately US$4.9 million to support UNFPA Country Program document for Liberia over the next four and half years.
The current UNFPA Country Program for Liberia (2020-2024) is fully aligned with the Government of Liberia’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) 2018-2023. It seeks to contribute to the achievement of universal access to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHRs) by ensuring that adolescents and youth, including the marginalized, youth with disabilities and those furthest behind, have skills and knowledge to claim and make informed choices about their SRHR and wellbeing; and women, adolescents and youth especially marginalized and furthest behind, have improved access to quality gender responsive, comprehensive and integrated SRHRs information and services, including family planning and STIs/HIV including during humanitarian situation.