Ministry of Health permanent secretary, Dr Kevin Harvey, said that the country has come a long way as it relates to improvements in the areas of sexual and reproductive health. He was speaking at the opening of a three-day regional reproductive health workshop, at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites in New Kingston.
The health workshop, which purpose is to fortify the promotion of reproductive health service security in the Caribbean, is being presented by the Health Ministry in association with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
While lauding the intervention initiative, Dr Harvey said that it will unquestionably improve the capacity of Jamaica’s health team to safeguard sustained availability and access to needed reproductive health services, especially among the most vulnerable in the island.
Dr Harvey highlighted, that the total fertility rate has moved from a high of 5.5 percent in the 1970s to 2.3 percent presently. In addition, HIV prevalence rate for the general population has been sustained at 1.8 percent. He stressed that there are still a significant number of unexpected pregnancies among teens and that the rate of HIV infections for teenage girls remains a major problem.
“This is an important opportunity for continued dialogue and capacity building of our health professionals in this important area of securing and making available and accessible, reproductive health commodities,” he said.
Dr Harvey said the Ministry remains committed to working with its international, regional and local partners to achieve the national development goal of a healthy and stable population by 2030.
UNFPA Director for the Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, Sheila Roseau said: “A secure, steady and reliable supply of reproductive health commodities has an impact on teenagers who are too young to be mothers, couples seeking to space the births of their children, women whose lives could be saved by medication during childbirth and people in need of protection from HIV and sexually transmitted infections.”
The workshop is part of the UNFPA’s flagship initiative, Global Programme to Enhance Reproductive Health Commodity Security, which seeks to assist countries build stronger health systems and widen access to a reliable supply of contraceptives and medicines for maternal health.
