By Kemo Cham
Reproductive health and rights, women’s empowerment are at the center of Sierra Leone’s new National Population Policy.
The document which was launched last week focuses on six priority areas with the goal of improving the quality of life for the population.
Amongst others, the policy aims to address population dynamics with an effective response to the needs and aspirations of the country’s expanding youth population.
Sierra Leone’s population, as per the 2015 National Population and Housing Census, is seven million. According to this document, about 40 percent (2,794, 883) [15 – 35 years] are within the youth category, making the country’s population one of the youngest.
And this population is expected to increase to 10million by 2030.
Experts say high fertility rates, coupled with a high unmet needs for family planning over a long period of time, have been the largest contributors to the country’s very young population.
Therefore the new Policy outlines the need to increase investments in youth, through health and well-being; education and skills, employment and entrepreneurship; and rights and governance structures to benefit the youths. It also proffers key measures to address critical population management and development issues, including reducing adolescent pregnancy and reducing mortality rates, and, consequently, effectively harness the demographic dividend.
The document was developed with the technical and financial support from the United Nations Population Fund.
Dr. Kim Eva Dickson, Country Director of the UN agency, hailed the focus on reproductive health and rights as a priority area in the Policy.
“UNFPA continues to work closely with the Government to strengthen partnerships to provide sexual and reproductive health and family planning services; strengthen supply chain systems; and build capacity for the delivery of rights-based family planning services to address the persistent challenges and barriers that exist,” she said at the occasion marking the launch at the Miata Conference Center in Freetown.
Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swarray, officially launched the policy on behalf of Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.
“By launching our Population Policy today, our Government reiterates its commitment to improve the quality of life,” Swaray said.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to, among others, enhance the reproductive health and rights of all Sierra Leoneans, fast-track socio-economic growth and human capital in line with the projected population growth, and strengthen national capacity of relevant institutions to carry out appropriate evidence-based on population planning and management.
© 2019 Politico Online
