Female genital mutilation/cutting
continues to be practiced in 27 out of the 46 Member States. In some countries
more than 90% of females have undergone genital mutilation. It is estimated
that about 100 million women and girls in Africa
today have gone through some type of genital mutilation. In addition, the
increase in domestic violence and sexual abuse against women and girl children
in most countries is of serious concern. Children in difficult circumstances
are particularly vulnerable. There is urgent need to establish effective
interdisciplinary and gender-sensitive programmes for the prevention and
reduction of these harmful practices and cater for the vulnerable children. It
is also important to ensure that male circumcision, where practiced, is carried
out under strict hygienic conditions and with individual blades.
Other harmful traditional practices
include:
·
Childhood
marriage and teenage pregnancy
·
Bad
delivery practices
·
Nutritional
taboos
·
Uvulectomy
·
Son’s
preference
·
Gender
inequality/Gender violence
·
Bad widowhood practices
Health services
The above-mentioned health problems
are worsened by uneven or lack of access to health services, insufficient resources
and poor performance of health systems. Almost all the countries have embarked
on health sector reform. The main focus of the reform is on health financing,
organization and management of health services and service delivery.
The needs to be addressed include the
following
·
Introduction
of the reproductive health concept in all countries through a multisectoral
approach
·
Provision
of comprehensive services that are good quality equitably accessible,
affordable and appropriate to the needs of individuals, families and
communities, especially, underserved groups;
·
Reorientation
of planning processes for a more pragmatic and participatory approach to the
identification of problems, need and interventions;
·
Removal
of all forms of barriers to reproductive health, such as political, legal,
socioeconomic, cultural, behavioural or gender-based barriers;
·
Improving
the knowledge and skills of all people for the purpose of establishing
responsible relationships and parenthood so as to enhance their ability to promote
their own health;
·
Establishing
an enabling environment for service providers;
·
Recognizing
and supporting the roles of professional bodies;
·
Enhancing
the institutional capacity of the national health system to adequately address
reproductive health needs