Sierra Leone to improve Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health services to Women and Adolescent by allocating at least 10% of the National Health budget for the procurement and distribution of lifesaving drugs and health supplies.Health For All Coalition in collaboration with the Budget advocacy working group (BAWG) calls on the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services by investing in the procurement and distribution lifesaving drugs and health supplies.Every year in Sierra Leone there is stock out of reproductive health commodities and supplies in most public health facilities. Hundreds of women and adolescent die or suffer of preventable or treatable causes because they cannot access affordable and effective reproductive health medicines and simple health supplies. Simple medicines can save lives, but only if people can access them.According to the 2013 DHS maternal mortality is one thousand, one hundred and sixty five deaths per one hundred thousand live births (1,165/100,000). Adolescent pregnancy (28 % of 15-19 girls) with 40% of maternal mortality directly resulting from adolescent pregnancies.In 2016, the Minister of Health and Sanitation signed a performance contract with H.E President Koroma detailing specific outcomes to which his Ministry will contribute for long term development of Sierra Leone; key among his priorities include increased access to sexual and reproductive health services for women and adolescent especially contributing to reduce teenage pregnancy.Sierra Leone cannot address access to sexual and reproductive health services without investing in reproductive health commodities. Community health workers aren’t as useful if they cannot provide access to modern contraception. A Skill birth attendant is not as effective during delivery if she does not have access to medicines and devices for mothers. Health Clinics cannot save lives without essential medicines to dispense as needed. Access to commodities leverages the impact of the rest of the health care system.Health For All Coalition in partnership with the Budget Advocacy working group believes that for every Leone spent to buy and distribute reproductive health commodities can avert maternal deaths and teenage pregnancies.We also note that access to sexual and reproductive health services is among the president’s post Ebola health recovery priorities.We strongly believe that investment in reproductive health can further promote girl Child education. BAWG urged:
- MOHS to allocate at least 10% of the National health Budget for the procurement and distribution of reproductive health commodities;
- Local Councils to allocate clear budget line for drug distribution including reproductive health commodities to primary health care units.
Signed:
- Health For All Coalition
- Health Alert
- WASHNET
- Accountability Now
- Health Network
- Child welfare Society
- Mamaye
- African Health Budget Network
- Budget Advocacy Network
- Save the Children
- World Vision