More than 20 Liberian community leaders came together in July 2021 with a clear goal in mind: to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations in their influence on the implementation of their government’s commitment to the PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19. The 2-day workshop was organized by the Public Health Initiative Liberia and supported by PMNCH.
Representatives from civil society and youth-led organizations participated in an interactive discussion to strategize and identify national structures and mechanisms that can be leveraged to strengthen advocacy, engagement and accountability in relation to addressing the health needs of women, children and adolescents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Women,
children and adolescents from every nation deserve equal access to good health services in and out of crises," said Grace C. Baba, Founder of the Girls of Destiny Purity Organization. "We appreciate that the Government of Liberia has joined the Call
to Action and pledged support for 5 out of the 7 asks."The Government of Liberia committed US$10.65 million in 2021 to improve the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents, by supporting and building the capacity of health services
providers; providing safe and accessible drinking water, sanitation and hygiene as part of the COVID-19 incidence management system; empowering the adolescent population with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions for their own health care;
guaranteeing availability of critical life-saving equipment and medicines to ensure access to quality health care to women, children and adolescents; and protecting the most vulnerable against sexual and gender based violence.
Learn more about the Government of Liberia’s commitment to the PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19.
To turn these pledges into reality, the participants agreed to work alongside the Government and hold them accountable for the delivery of the commitments in a timely and effective manner. This includes:
- Working with the Government to ensure adequate information sharing, health services and life-saving supplies for women, children and adolescents throughout the COVID-19 response and recovery measures;
- Liaising with the Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection and the Minister of Health to monitor that gender equality is at the heart of the policies for COVID-19 recovery plans and sexual and reproductive rights are fulfilled as a priority;
- Working with communities to assess the quality of social protection and support for citizens, including marginalized and vulnerable groups that is being delivered and working with the Government to strengthen service delivery where required;
- Monitoring the disbursement of investments for the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Pillar of the COVID-19 Incidence Management System and ensure access to safe and clean water, toilets and hand washing facilities in and out of schools and public places is improved; and
- Working with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to increase availability and access to services that protect rights of women, children and adolescents.
PMNCH Call to Action on COVID-19 is an on-going campaign, bringing together more than 1000 partners in advocating for urgent action to respond to the devastating effects of the pandemic on the health of women, children, and adolescents, as well as the societies and economies that support them. Commitments in support of PMNCH’s Call to Action on COVID-19 are financial, policy and/or service delivery pledges by partner governments, including donor governments, to advance the health of women, children and adolescents in the context of the response to COVID-19. To align with the goals of the PMNCH COVID-19 Call to Action campaign, commitments adhere to written guidelines.
More on the Call to Action: https://www.covidcalltoaction.org/