IPNEWS: The Ministers of Health and Finance and Development Planning, Dr. (MD) Wilhelmina Jallah and Mr. Samuel D. Tweah have respectively signed committing the Liberian Government to match by two percent whatever supports that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) are jointly going to be providing toward the improvement of sexual and reproductive health of Liberian women and girls.
Speaking before they had affixed their signatures to the Supplies Partnership Compact document, Dr. Jallah stated that as nations become more independent, they are going to be asked to make a lot more commitment. “You can’t all your life be helped for all your life. Every time you look in Liberia’s health document, the only word you can come across is that ’70 or 80 percent supported by donors.’ So, this is the beginning of how we are going to take over that challenge,” the Health Minister said.
She stressed that even the country can match one percent, “It shows that Liberia is committed and ready to move things forward.”
She disclosed that Liberia is going to go further with this agreement with not only being committed to the two percent of the reproductive health commodities to be bought and distributed, but that Liberia will be committed, too, to clearing the consignment from the port and storing it at the Central Medicine Store (CMS), in Caldwell.
Also speaking, Ms. Bidisha Pillai, UNFPA Resident Representative, said the reason that they had gathered on Wednesday, November 24, had been a discussion that was started in 2021.
“We had a very good discussion in this room on the 2nd of November to try and rectify it. I am really delighted that in this month of November and today being the day of ending Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls Internationally, we are able to sign this historic agreement,” Ms. Pillai said.
With the ongoing national census in Liberia, the UNFPA Rep. said one of the fundamental critical aspects of population development is the development of women and girls. According to her, that development is “deeply rooted on the sexual and reproductive health rights of those women and girls.”
“So, it is absolutely fundamental that we help women to understand, realize and access the products and services that they need to be able to fulfill that right to sexual and reproductive health and the discussion that we are having today on family planning commodities and the compact on resourcing those commodities is pivotal.”
She disclosed that between 2017 and 2021, UNFPA has procured and distributed family planning supplies worth US$9 million to Liberia. “Between USAID and UNFPA, we make up 95 percent of those commodity supplies,” she disclosed.
The UN specialized agency representative praised the Liberian Government for showing commitment toward improving the health of women and girls in Liberia.
Also speaking, Ms. Jo Jean Elenes, Service Delivery Team Lead, USAID Liberia, said USAID is very supportive of the compact signing. “We see it as a very important commitment by the Government of Liberia towards women’s reproductive health and towards family planning.”
Ms. Elenes pledged that USAID is here to support both ministries of government and UNFPA.
Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah thanked UNFPA and USAID for their strong partnership with the Liberian Government in helping to transform the nation’s health sector particularly health care delivery affecting women and girls.
He pledged the government’s commitment towards sustaining the partnership, towards improving the government’s contribution in the broad facet in the overall health care delivery with particularly the quality of care that is given to women and girls.
“We have made some gains in maternal mortality recently, but we want more gains. So, to the extent that sexual and reproductive health, high risked fatalities impinging on the maternal mortality number,” Min. Tweah stated.
According to him, because of his concern for the health of women and girls, at least for the last three years of the five years that Health Minister Jallah has been Minister of Health, he has always called her to talk about how more gains can be made in reducing maternal mortality from the present number from seven to three or two of 1000 live births.
“This two percent commitment is the beginning. We are looking at the broader human capital investment particularly in the maternal mortality space. I think the government will look to improve this two percent commitment over the medium term to at least 10 percent,” Min. Tweah promised.
The monetary value of the two percent that the government is to give in 2023 is US$21, 211.60. An additional eight percent will increase this amount.
He and Dr. Jallah signed the agreement document, while Ms. Pillai signed on behalf of UNFPA.
