SOUTH SUDAN— The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) fourth country program on sexual and reproduction health and rights for South Sudan, has received US$8.4 million from Sweden.
The funding is aimed at helping strengthen reproductive health programs and responding to gender-based violence in Africa’s newest nation.
UNFPA is the United Nations Sexual and reproductive health agency and has promoted gender equality and empowered women, girls, and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures.
UNFPA notes that it has and will continue to work with partners in South Sudan to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services.
Its new program in the country intends to end the unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal death, and gender-based violence and harmful practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation.
UNFPA Representative Dr. Demola Olajide acknowledged the support of the Swedish Government towards the improvement of access to maternal and newborn care, family planning, and prevention and response to gender-based violence in South Sudan.
“Our support aims to contribute to improvements in the health status of women of reproductive age, including young people’s ability to plan their lives,” Dr. Olajide said.
Dr. Olajide also noted that the generous contribution from the Government and people of Sweden continues to support the implementation of interventions to provide integrated sexual and reproductive health services in the country, especially improving the well-being of women, girls, and young people.
The funding is aimed at helping strengthen reproductive health programs and responding to gender-based violence.
Tomas Brundin, Head of the Embassy of Sweden Office in South Sudan said, “Our support aims to contribute to improvements in the health status of women of reproductive age, including young people’s ability to plan their lives.”
Brundin added that access to family planning information and services promotes women’s empowerment and gender equality and prevents harmful practices such as child marriage.
Sweden has been a key partner for UNFPA since 2013, providing support that has significantly impacted UNFPA’s transformative agenda in South Sudan to accelerate reductions in preventable maternal death, unmet need for family planning, gender-based violence, and harmful practices such as child marriage.
Meeting South Sudan and reproductive health and rights needs
UNFPA notes that South Sudan continues to experience multiple development challenges, necessitating a robust approach to prevention and response to GBV and other sexual and reproductive health needs.
Moreover, about 81 percent of the population live in rural areas and 73.7 percent are below 30 years of age, implying a very youthful population.
The total fertility rate is 4.5 children per woman, with an adolescent birth rate of 158 per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years.
Additionally, teenage pregnancy is estimated at 30 percent among girls 15-19 years old, and the maternal mortality ratio in the country is estimated at 789 deaths per 100,000 live births.
UNFPA adds that the contraceptive prevalence rate for all methods is 6 percent with modern methods at 5 percent as of 2020 and subsequently the unmet need for family planning is estimated at 29.7 percent for 2020.
Essentially, gender inequality and gender-based violence (GBV) are still widespread and perpetuated by several factors including cultural norms.
Unfortunately, with its social indicators and the current pace of progress, South Sudan is not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Urgent attention is required by the Government and its partners to reverse the above trends and improve the health outcomes of the population.
Consequently, decades of war, intercommunal clashes, frequent disease outbreaks, flooding and drought, and a weakening economy continue to ravage the country and have undermined the national capacity for the provision of people-centered services.
By the end of March 2020, four million people remained displaced by the humanitarian crisis i.e., two million internally displaced and more than two million refugees.
In 2020, with generous support from the governments of Canada, Denmark, Japan, Norway, and Sweden and the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Fund (ECHO), UNFPA was able to reach over 15,000 girls at risk of gender-based violence and forced or child marriage with protection and prevention services.
More than 228,000 gender-based violence survivors were also supported through medical care, psychosocial support, and legal assistance.
UNFPA reiterates that it has a strong arsenal of proven interventions and innovative solutions validated through agile practices and regional programs such as the Safeguard Young People Programme, Joint UN programs of Spotlight Initiative, and 2gether 4 SRHR, among others to assist the people of South Sudan.
UNFPA commits to honing resource mobilization and partnerships efforts, targeting 5% of new income from the private sector.
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