FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, April 18, 2024 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) handed over a shipment of 2.5 million condoms to the Ministry of Health on Thursday, 18 April, 2024, as part of its support to national efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Speaking at the handover ceremony held at the Central Medical Stores, UNFPA Country Representative Nadia Rasheed reaffirmed UNFPA's commitment to ending unmet need for family planning through the procurement of family planning contraceptives, including condoms, emphasizing that “condoms are safe, inexpensive tools that play a critical role in preventing unintended pregnancies, as well as in preventing the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Despite their importance, too many people still face barriers in accessing and using condoms. This is particularly true for young people, who often lack the information, services and support they need to make informed choices to protect their health and well-being.”
Accepting the items on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Charles Senessie, commended the handover as a significant milestone in the collaborative partnership between the Government of Sierra Leone and UNFPA. Dr. Senessie stressed the government's steadfast commitment to enhancing reproductive health outcomes, and acknowledged the vital role of the support received from UNFPA in advancing sexual and reproductive health in Sierra Leone.
UNFPA collaborates with the Government to meet about 90 percent of the public sector's requirements for family planning commodities. This support extends to strengthening supply chain systems and expanding the provision of sexual and reproductive health information, services, and life-saving supplies to advance universal access. In 2023, UNFPA procured $3.7 million worth of commodities for the country, facilitating use of modern contraceptives by 640,000 clients. This contraceptive use has contributed to the prevention of an estimated 240,000 unintended pregnancies, 87,000 unsafe abortions, and 770 maternal deaths in 2023 alone.
The Managing Director of the National Medical Supply Agency, Dr. Lawrence Sandi, thanked UNFPA for its contribution and highlighted the comprehensive national health supply chain strategy, which was developed with support from UNFPA, to serve as a vital roadmap for guiding investments and coordinating the efforts of all stakeholders engaged in the health supply chain sector.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the National AIDS Secretariat, Abdul Rahman Sessay, emphasized that integrating condom promotion into ongoing initiatives is critical to ensuring access to condoms for all individuals who need them, particularly sexually active youth and those in high-risk groups. He expressed gratitude to UNFPA, noting that this support is timely and greatly appreciated.
In addition to the condoms provided through the global UNFPA Supplies Partnership, UNFPA handed over 55 tablets and 200 power banks to the Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services, as part of a procurement undertaken on behalf of the Ministry of Health with funding support from Global Fund. This equipment is intended to improve the efficient management and distribution of essential medical resources, to support the mSupply healthcare logistics initiative which facilitates timely tracking of medical supplies to the last mile.
Media contacts: Islander Kabia | Communications Unit | UNFPA Sierra Leone | ikabia@unfpa.org
