GBARPOLU COUNTY-LIBERIA-The Partnership for Sustainable Development (PaSD) on April 21, 2022 completed a daylong Petition Action for Accelerating Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Policy Implementation (AASPI) II.

The project, with support from a British Charity, Amplify Change, is aimed at influencing decision and policy makers on the promotion of programs and policies on Reproductive, Maternal, New-born Child Health, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR and RMNCH) and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV).

The petition sought to demand legislators to allocate 15% of the Country’s national budget to health, the Ministry of Health to allot 10% of its budget to RMNCH and SRHR, local authority to influence the Ministry of Health to develop new roadmap on RMNCH and SRHR and to accelerate processes leading to the development of a new regime of the expired Investment Case of 2021 on Reproductive, Maternal, New-born Child Health, Sexual Reproductive Health Right (SRHR and RMNCH).

Reading the petition, Miss. Abigail Ballah, student activist from Bopolu District said:” The local authority needs to lobby with the Health Ministry to accelerate processes leading to the development of a new roadmap for the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, to replace the expired roadmap of 2007-2015.

Meanwhile, Gbarpolu County Development Superintendent, Joseph Akoi, appreciated PaSD along with collaborating civil society organizations for the vibrant petition program.

He also reassured the petitioners of local authority commitments in mitigating challenges faced with reproductive, maternal, newborn child and adolescent health issues within the county.