LimphoSello
THE Ministry of Health has unveiled the first draft of a Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)strategic plan document for the 2015-2020period meant to guide health officials and donors on the areas of priority in the sector.
The document, which was launched at the Health ministry’s auditorium in Maseru on Tuesday, is a guiding document for health policies, programmes and service delivery.
The Ministry’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Manager, Motsoanku Mefane, saidthey initiated the SRH policy in 2009 and had followed up with the strategic plan document detailing government’s areas of priority in the health sector.
“Detailing the SRH priorities willensure that donors have something to refer to when they want to fund programmes,” Ms Mefane said.
“Thisis because we havehad situations where donors come wanting to fund programmes of their choice and having no interest in knowing our priority areas.”
Ms Mefanesaid withoutthe strategic plan document,areas needing immediate assistance had been left to fester, adding that it would help coordinate interventions in the health sector.
“For example,one of our main priorities is maternal health, as we are still experiencing high mortalitiesduring labour,” she said.
“It is one oftheissues we havehighlighted in our document and which donors can pick up onwhen they want to help us.It is also an area we all need to concentrate on more since we have a stake in the issue.”
Ms Mefane also said they are working in tandem with the ministries of Education and Development Planning, among others, in the formulation of the strategic plan document.
A consultant who worked on the document, SeipatiMothebesoane, said the SRH policy prioritises safe motherhood, family planning, management of unsafe abortion, screening for reproductive health cancers, prevention and treatment of sexually-transmitted infections and HIV and AIDS as well as management of sexual abuse.
Dr Mothebesoane said on the issue of safe motherhood, the maternal and new-born health ratio is estimated at 1 155 per 100 000 live births according to the 2009 Lesotho Demographic Health Survey (LDHS).
“The majority of maternal deaths occur in the 20 to 24-year age category, and one of the contributing factors to the high risk of maternal mortality is the high teenage pregnancy rate estimated at 44 percent,” Dr Mothebesoane said.
She added that the government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Health, would be in charge of the implementation of the National SRH strategy.
“The National SRH steering committee, as the coordinating body, will be responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the strategy,” Dr Mothebesoane said.
“The close collaboration and coordinated action between the Ministry of Health and a wide range of partners within government, civil society and the donor community will enhance synergies and avoid duplication of efforts.”
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