Africa-Press – Botswana. The Ministry of Health has received reproductive products and a second batch of personal protective equipment (PPE) worth over P5 million.
Receiving the donation recently, health minister, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, said the donation would ensure that Batswana had access to modern contraceptives.
“It is indeed a positive development towards creation of an empowered people in charge of their family planning needs,” Dr Dikoloti said.
He added that the donation would also assist in creating a supportive and responsive environment within the health system.
The minister thus thanked the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Chinese government for collaboration in addressing Botswana’s gaps and unmet needs in family planning.
For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Wang Xuefeng said about 87 000 Botswana adolescent girls and young women, who continued to face negative sexual and reproductive health issues, would benefit from reproductive health products.
He said the donation, facilitated through the UNFPA country office, included emergency contraceptives, single hormone contraceptives and Depo Provera as well as the second batch of the PPE to be used by the medical health personnel after receiving the first in August in 2021.
Ambassador Wang added that the contraceptives together with the medical supplies and health products would continue to help protect the life and health of adolescent girls and young women.
“By helping adolescent girls and young women to prevent unintended pregnancies, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), women would be empowered too and that would also ensure that girls remain in school and increase women’s participation in economic activities and ultimately reduce poverty among those vulnerable groups,” he added.
On COVID-19, he said the pandemic caused a strain never seen before on global health systems, many of which were forced to divert resources away from their reproductive health services.
That, he said, was because of economic pressure and budget cuts, resulting in many reproductive health problems including increasing unintended pregnancies among vulnerable groups.
“Action was needed urgently in order to help and or tackle those problems during and after COVID-19, which was related to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 3 which calls for healthy lives and promotion of well-being for all at all ages as well as Goal 5 which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,” Ambassador Wang said.
Furthermore, the ambassador said the donation demonstrated Chinese government’s continued commitment in partnering with Botswana and UNFPA to ensure continuity of safe and quality medical service for all as well as the sexual and reproductive health for women and girls.
Meanwhile, he said in view of the well-being of the entire humanity, Chinese President, Mr Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the UN General Assembly in 2021, which aimed at building a global community of development.
He explained that the GDI prioritised development and societies, further seeking to expedite implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
He indicated that China and Botswana were both developing countries upholding multilateralism and had common stand on COVID-19 response, economic recovery, peace and security as well as global governance.
He added that China would therefore continue working closely with Botswana and UN development agencies to make all-out efforts to advance the GDI and deepen practical cooperation in all fields.
“Together, we will sound the clarion call for common development and establish fast tracks for development through cooperation. Botswana and China should join hands on the journey of implementing the 2030 Agenda and build an even better community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.
Ambassador Wang also thanked the head of UNFPA Botswana office, Ms Tlangelani Shilubane for efforts that led to successful implementation of the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund Project.
He also thanked Minister Dikoloti for great work in COVID-19 response and addressing the severe health challenges during the pandemic.
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