Make Every Woman Count
In Guinea, the Roadmap on Sexual Education aims to better integrate sexual education within the curriculum to strengthen the capacity of agencies promoting sexual education and the development of services targeting adolescents, and to improve knowledge among communities on sexual health.1300 In Benin, the National Strategy for the Safety of Reproductive Health Products 2011–2016 aims to strengthen and sustain the supply of reproductive health products.1301 In Cabo Verde, special facilities have been established in some health centres to ensure easy access, privacy and confidentiality within SRH services for adolescents.1302 Decree-law No. 47/2017 establishes social and educational support measures for girls attending school during pregnancy, after delivery and while breastfeeding. These measures apply to primary, secondary and higher education and professional training.1303 West African countries also implemented specific national HIV prevention strategies and programmes during the Decade. In Liberia, the 2015–2020 National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan made provisions for pre-natal care and eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.1304 In Mali, the 2014–2013 Health and Social Development Plan aimed to reduce maternal, neonatal, infant and child morbidity and mortality, and mortality related to sexually transmitted diseases.1305 The 2014 National Plan of Action of Nigeria addresses the intersections between GBV and HIV/AIDS. It aims to reduce the incidence of HIV by addressing GBV using a multi-sectoral approach, including with stakeholders at the national, state and local level.1306 In Ghana, the National HIV and AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection Policy recommends that elimination of mother-to-child transmission programmes be available to all pregnant women living
Figure 20 West Africa: Contraceptive prevalence, any methods (% of women ages 15-49) Gambia 9.0%
with HIV. Such programmes encompass HIV testing as part of routine pre-natal services, psychosocial support, follow-up services and
Guinea 10.9%
nutritional support for malnourished mothers. The Policy makes a
Niger 11.0%
special effort to target men with information on family planning and
Benin 15.5%
reproductive health.1307 In Gambia, the National Policy Guidelines on HIV and AIDS aim to ensure a sustained programme of information and education in the population, with a special focus on youth and women. It seeks to prevent new infections and empower women and girls educationally, socially and economically to enhance their self-esteem and equality in gender relationships. The Guidelines also call for a review of HIV and AIDS programmes to ensure they address gender perspectives. They also cover special programmes that provide women with economic opportunities, as well as counselling
Guinea-Bissau 16.0% Nigeria 16.6% Mali 17.2% Togo 19.9% Sierra Leone 22.5% Côte d'Ivoire 23.3% Senegal 27.8%
and support for victims of sexual violence. Furthermore, to prevent
Ghana 30.8%
mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the Guidelines recommend that
Liberia 31.2%
counselling and testing services be available and offered before birth
Burkina Faso 31.7%
in family planning clinics and all pregnant women be sensitised and encouraged to access counselling and testing.1308
No data available for Cabo Verde. Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators.
5.3. Challenges and Gaps The first gap observed concerns constitutional provisions on health, specifically provisions related to SRH. Two countries (Ghana and Guinea-Bissau) do not have constitutional provisions on health. In Ghana’s case, the Constitution includes the right to health in connection to employment but does not extend this right to all citizens. No country in West Africa includes constitutional provisions specifically on SRH and family planning, according to the sources reviewed. While the 2020 draft Constitution of Gambia includes language that guarantees the right to reproductive health care, the country had not adopted this at the time of writing. The second gap concerns the right to abortion. Many countries in West Africa restrict access to safe abortion and the right to abortion. Moreover, in most West African countries, the laws on abortion are not in line with the Maputo Protocol; rather, provisions
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