• Committed  to meeting the critical health and protection needs of women and girls says  Kunle Adeniyi, UNFPA representative in Sri Lanka

UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, has launched an appeal for US$9 million  to deliver lifesaving healthcare to more than 2 million women and girls in  Sri Lanka in the next six months, a statement from it issued in New York  said.

The statement said Sri Lanka is experiencing its  worst socio-economic crisis since independence. The country’s once robust healthcare system is  teetering on the edge of collapse amid debilitating power shortages and a  lack of critical supplies, equipment and medicine. This is severely impacting the delivery of sexual and  reproductive health services, including maternal health care and  access to contraception. Existing protection  mechanisms for women and girls in need, including survivors of gender-based  violence, have also been severely compromised.  A UN survey in May 2022  indicates women and girls’ vulnerability to  violence is increasing at the same time as services, including health, police, shelter, and  hotlines, are declining due to lack of financial resources to continue  providing life-saving support.  

“The current economic crisis has far-reaching  consequences for women and girls’ health, rights and dignity,” said Dr.  Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director. “Right now, our priority is to  respond to their unique needs and safeguard their access to lifesaving healthcare and protection services and support.” 

Steady gains have been made for Sri Lankan women and  girls, including an institutional delivery rate of 99 percent, but this progress is now under threat. An estimated 215,000  women are currently pregnant, including 11,000 adolescent girls, and around 145,000 women will deliver in the next six months. Approximately  60,000 women may require access to  surgical interventions.  UNFPA is providing cash and voucher assistance to  pregnant women to support access to health facilities – and continues to  build the capacity and skills of the extensive midwifery force across the  country – but with infrastructure and transportation challenges, childbirth  could be a life-threatening, if not fatal, experience for pregnant women  unable to access skilled medical care. “UNFPA is committed to meeting the critical health  and protection needs of women and girls,” said Kunle Adeniyi, UNFPA  representative in Sri Lanka.