By Zainab Joaque
Ipas, a reproductive health organisation has raised concerns over the health system for women and girls since the outbreak of Ebola in the country.
According to statistics from 13 facilities supported by Ipas, in the first quarter of 2014, 271 women sought post-abortion care, in the second quarter 276 did, while in the third the number dropped to 79 from the same facilities.
Based on the figures, the Country Director of Ipas, Valerie Tucker called on government to act now. “It is time we face up to the realities of our nation; we cannot continue to close our eyes on this issue whilst our mothers, sisters and children continue to suffer” she said while addressing a two-day workshop yesterday organised by iPas to develop messages on the impact of Ebola on maternal mortality.
“I am asking that a holistic package of sexual and reproductive health services be included in the response to Ebola” Valerie went on.
The meeting aimed to engage partners to regain women’s confidence in the health system which they say will reduce unsafe abortion resulting from unplanned and unwanted pregnancies so as to improve women’s reproductive health and bring out the challenges women face in accessing health facilities during the Ebola outbreak.
She said the continued closure of schools would unduly affect the girl child. “It was already tormenting to hear the unfortunate slang ‘After BECE – after BELEH’ and now that our children are not even able to take the BECE exam what will happen to them” she questioned.
Tucker called on government to make available improved and increased access to sexual and reproductive health services as a matter of priority during and after the Ebola outbreak so as to combat the impact of the soaring number of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy.
Patricia Brown, an MP who chairs the Female Caucus in parliament called for solidarity amongst women in the fight for their rights, empowerment and gender equality. “We have suffered the most from this outbreak as we have lost our children, husbands and family members, but we have to be strong and support each other in times like this, as the outbreak has left an enormous health emergency affecting women and girls to a proportion we might not be able to manage” she said.
In her keynote address, the national coordinator for the reduction of teenage pregnancy secretariat at the health ministry, Patricia Bah said the forum was a deliberate and justifiable effort to draw society’s attention to the precarious situation in which young adolescent girls now find themselves in the wake of the Ebola outbreak.
“The awareness of girls has not been raised so that they fully understand the implications of teenage pregnancy. We are using the Ebola outbreak so that our adolescents are better prepared to become Ebola conscious, be very sensitive to touch from any and every body” Mrs bah said. She went on: “Most of our adolescent girls between the ages of 13 and 19 years remain at home waiting the reopening of schools”.
© Politico 18/12/14
