By Joseph Momoh, Reporter, Daily Scope
Dr. Austin Demby, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health, announced that over 620,000 women are currently utilizing modern contraceptives, a significant rise from just 280,000 in 2012. This increase reflects the country’s commitment to improving reproductive health services.
Speaking at a high-level strategy session on “Powering Progress for Family Planning and Reproductive Health” hosted by the United Nations Foundation during the 80th UN General Assembly, Dr. Demby highlighted the positive impact of this progress on maternal and child health. He noted that the rise in contraceptive use has led to the prevention of 230,000 unintended pregnancies, 85,000 unsafe abortions, and 740 maternal deaths.
The Minister reported that the modern contraceptive prevalence rate has now reached 27.4%, with demand satisfaction at 59.1%. These figures illustrate Sierra Leone’s advancement under President Julius Maada Bio’s leadership and its alignment with the FP2030 agenda.
Dr. Demby emphasized the government’s adoption of a life stages approach, which offers integrated health services tailored to the needs of individuals at different life stages. He stated that this innovative framework is key to achieving universal health coverage and eliminating preventable maternal deaths in Sierra Leone.
Highlighting the importance of global collaboration, the Health Minister called on international partners to align their support with Sierra Leone’s priorities, address critical financing gaps, and strengthen sustainable systems for family planning and reproductive health.
The session brought together senior leaders from FP2030, the Global Financing Facility, Engender Health, the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, and other global health partners, who discussed strategies to enhance financing, foster collaboration, and accelerate progress toward the 2030 targets.
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