By: Abu H. Kargbo
As part of the measures to address the misconceptions and misinformation about the Safe Motherhood & Reproductive Healthcare Bill, the People’s Alliance for Reproductive Health Advocacy (PARHA), held a sensitisation engagement on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
Jeremy Ben-Simbo, the Secretary-General of PARHA, a coalition which focuses on addressing sexual reproductive health and rights issues across the country, said the sensitization is funded by the UK-based organisation Amplify Change.
Simbo revealed that beyond the legal and safe termination of pregnancy, the bill seeks to improve access to healthcare services in Sierra Leone through the training of medical personnel.
“Also, with the enactment of the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Healthcare Bill, the current free healthcare policy will be transformed into law,” he added.
He further indicated that the bill upon enactment will give a safe space for women and girls to terminate unwanted pregnancies, especially for victims of sexual penetration, rape, incest and in crucial situations like euthanasia.
He concluded by calling on attendees to enlighten others, as they are influential in their communities and institutions.
In his submission, Peter Conteh, Chairman of the Bombali District Human Rights Committee, called on PARHA and other organizations to continue their engagements, as he believed that low sensitisation is one of the bottlenecks that deferred the enactment of the Safe Motherhood & Reproductive Healthcare Bill last year.