By Archie Boan
Alarming reproductive health data from Bong County has intensified calls for urgent national action on family planning and sexual and reproductive health services, as the Initiative for Women and Youth Empowerment (IWYE) officially launched Phase Two of its national Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy project.
According to figures presented at the launch, 75 percent of girls aged 13–14 at the Foequlleh Maternal Waiting Home have already given birth, while 3,592 teenage pregnancies were recorded at C.B. Dunbar Hospital.
Stakeholders say the data underscores deep systemic gaps in reproductive health education, access to contraceptives, and government investment in family planning.
The new phase of the initiative, titled “Advancing Calls on Contraceptive for Equitable SRHR Services for All Project (ACCESS 4 AIID),” builds on IWYE’s earlier advocacy efforts to improve domestic financing and equitable access to SRHR services across Liberia.
Speaking at the launch, Ms. Faith Dolo, Assistant Director for Projects and Programs at IWYE, described the statistics as a national red flag.
“These figures are not just statistics; they represent young lives interrupted, girls dropping out of school daily, and a future workforce placed at serious risk,” Ms. Dolo said.
She expressed gratitude to AmplifyChange for its continued support and acknowledged key partners, including the Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia (PPA-L), the Ministry of Health’s Family Health Division, the National Legislature, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, BudgIT-Liberia, health facilities in Montserrado and Bong counties, and several civil society and community-based organizations.
Ms. Dolo explained that the ACCESS for All Project was designed to advocate for increased domestic financing for Family Planning (FP) services and to strengthen institutional support for PPA-L, Liberia’s leading FP service provider.
One major achievement of Phase One was sustained advocacy that pushed government engagement on increasing the Ministry of Health’s FP budget from US$20,000 to US$100,000.
Over a two-year period, IWYE implemented evidence-based advocacy, strategic media engagement, radio awareness campaigns, and dialogues with health facilities, and budget-tracking initiatives.
Despite challenges such as contraceptive shortages, misinformation, and long travel distances to health centers, and limited public funding, the organization successfully completed all planned activities.
The launch of Phase Two comes at a particularly difficult time for Liberia’s health sector, following the termination of several USAID-supported programs, resulting in an estimated US$290 million funding gap affecting health and education nationwide.
Looking ahead, IWYE is intensifying calls for the Government of Liberia to honor its 2 percent national budget commitment to Family Planning, meet its 2030 FP targets, increase investment in rural health facilities, and expedite passage of the revised Public Health Bill.
Serving as the official launcher, Cllr. Dr. Aloysius F. K. Allison, Director for Felonious Crimes at the Ministry of Justice and a Board Member of IWYE, described the project as both a moral and national imperative.
“Early pregnancies, preventable maternal complications, and the lack of reproductive health information continue to derail families and slow national development,” Cllr. Allison said. “This initiative is a life-saving investment in Liberia’s future.”
He commended IWYE’s leadership, particularly Executive Director Musu Davis, for championing the rights of women, youth, and girls, and noted that the project’s focus on Bong, Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, and Bomi counties ensures inclusive outreach across diverse communities.
Cllr. Allison reaffirmed his full support for the initiative and called for stronger collaboration to ensure policies translate into real services at the community level.
“With optimism and great honor, I officially declare the IWYE SRHR Access for All Project duly launched,” he concluded.
