NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 3 – Ministers of Health from the EAC partner states say they are committed to support universal access to sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child and adolescent health.
In a statement, the Ministers say they will be undertaking a raft of measures to support the commitment, among them reducing maternal mortality, neonatal mortality and by eliminating the transmission of HIV from mother to child, among others.
Patrick Ndimubazi from Rwanda’s health of state in charge of public health says this will be done through increasing domestic budgetary allocation for health, ensuring necessary policies are in place and by investing in human resources for health among others.
“We shall also promote strategies and approaches that ensure involvement of adolescents and youth in policies, programmes and strategies development and ensure that they access age appropriate quality information, comprehensive knowledge and education.”
The ministers also said they would ensure availability of access to menstrual hygiene management, treatment and prevention for reproductive system cancers, fertility treatment and post-abortion care as per the laws of respective countries.
The commitment was made after they raised an alarm on the persistent high levels of maternal and newborn deaths due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
A 2017 study by United Nations Population Fund found that up to 214 million women in developing countries lack access to contraceptives, resulting in 89 million unintended pregnancies and 48 million abortions every year.
In East Africa, Rwanda has an unmet need for family planning at 23.3 percent, Kenya is at 20.1 percent, Uganda at 34 percent, Tanzania at 27 percent and Burundi at 30.2 percent.
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