26 March 2002
Master of ceremonies,
Distinguished guests,
honourable members of the NGO and CBO communities,
young people,
ladies and gentlemen.
I am privileged to have the opportunity to address you on this very special day. Today we are launching two policy guidelines; one on Contraception and one on Youth and Adolescent Health. Let's embrace this day because it will form part of our history.
These two policy guidelines were developed in partnership with other stakeholders including young people themselves. It is also important to note that these guidelines are underpinned by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Section 24 of the Constitution provides that everyone, children included, has a right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being.
Both policy guidelines were developed in the light of reproductive health and rights. Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters related to reproductive systems and its function and processes. Reproductive health implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safer sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Encompassed in the reproductive rights are the rights of men and women to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of their choice, as well as fertility regulation that are not against the law, and the right to access to appropriate health care service that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and child birth and provide couples with the best chance of having healthy infants.
Both policies aim at provision of quality care. To ensure that we achieve our goal of quality care and a conducive environment, it is important that the provision of reproductive health services and services promoting a healthy lifestyle are accessible to young people too. These Contraceptive policy guidelines locate reproductive services within a reproductive framework and further expand on the strategies to improve quality care. These include, among others, the National Contraception Policy Guidelines, which aim to give the people of South Africa good quality contraceptive services by providing them with information, a supportive environment, and health services that they need in order to achieve their objectives with regard to childbearing and healthy sexual relationships.
The Youth and Adolescent Health Policy guidelines aim at preventing and responding to the needs of young people such as unsafe sexual behaviour, and promoting healthy lifestyles of all youth and adolescents. Promotion of a healthy lifestyle includes programmes or activities such as building skills (especially life skills for youth), prevention of substance and alcohol abuse, provision of a smoke free environment etc. The focus is on the positive potential of young people as opposed to the "problems" they manifest.
These Youth and Adolescent Health policy guidelines appear at a time when there is an increasing international recognition that dedicating resources to adolescent and youth health and is one of the most important cost-effective long-term investments that a society can make. Likewise, the contraceptive policy guidelines are the cornerstone of development and gender equity. Thus, investment in women's health and contraception in particular, is also one of the most technological and cost-effective developmental strategies a nation can have.
The Department of Health has identified youth, women and adolescence as the critical period for intervention, in promoting healthy lifestyles. This will be achieved through promoting a safe and supportive environment as it plays an important role in influencing one's behavior, it include relationships with families, communities, social norms and cultural practices, mass media, accessibility of key opportunities and policies (including legislation). The interventions will be implemented in different settings such as in the home, at school, in health facilities, in the workplace, street, with community based organizations and residential centers. Programmes will be designed to suit the different settings. Provision of contraceptives as outlined in the contraceptive policy is one of the interventions within the health facilities and youth centers.
There are eight critical priority areas identified within the Youth and Adolescent Health Policy Guidelines, namely: sexual and reproductive health; mental health; substance abuse; violence; unintentional injuries; birth defects and inherited disorders; nutrition and oral health. Problems are interrelated thus, highlighting of these eight areas does not necessarily mean other causes or linkages will not be addressed. Interventions will be developed to address common roots of different clusters of problems.
The Contraceptive policy guidelines set the framework for contraceptive provision within communities, health services that meet the need of both men and women including youth, and provide a comprehensive guide for the prescribing of contraceptive methods. These include, expanding the current contraceptive method mix to meet the varying needs and preferences of the diverse clients throughout their reproductive lives, and improving the distribution of contraception supplies in the public sector. I am confident that the availability of these two policy guidelines of the Department of Health will help to ensure both consistency and quality among contraception and youth programmes.
Contraception is also an important strategy in the struggle to achieve gender equality and an intervention to prevent risky and unprotected sexual behavior. We know that gender relations have a significant impact on people's lifestyles, reproductive lives and sexual health. Women and young people, particularly girl children's lack of decision-making power and economic and social autonomy, is both a cause and a consequence of their limited power over their sexual and reproductive lives.
Contraception has traditionally focused on women. Increasingly, however, we are recognising men's influence in reproductive health. Men play key roles in supporting women's health, preventing unwanted pregnancies, slowing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Furthermore we have realized that men also need access to clinical services and information on contraception.
Men everywhere exert a strong influence over their partners. Men determine the timing and conditions of sexual relations, family size and access to health care. Men's reproductive health directly affects their partners, though it has taken the HIV/AIDS epidemic to bring this reality into focus. Men are still decision makers, as to whether to use a condom or not.
I am saying to men here today that these are your policies too. We have realized that without your participation in reproductive health issues, we will still talk of teenage pregnancy, termination of pregnancies and escalating HIV infections. Contraception is a women's issue as much as it is yours.
The international community at the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) in Beijing agreed that women's right to control their own fertility forms an important basis for the enjoyment of their other rights, and therefore should be promoted, protected and respected. Both the FWCW (Beijing 1995) and the International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) held in CAIRO in 1994 asserted that the human rights of women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. It also emphasized the issue of providing sexuality education to young people and training the parents to take the responsibility of providing the information.
The Department of Health believes that many unwanted pregnancies, STI's and HIV/AIDS can be prevented through the provision of reproductive health services and youth friendly services, in conjunction with other strategies to advance the position of women and youth in society. It has been demonstrated that the provision of reproductive health services and contraceptives to sexually active youth and women, greatly reduce both the incidence of unwanted pregnancies, STI's, HIV/AIDS and of unsafe termination of pregnancies. The success of these services is, however, dependent on the quality of care provided and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Hence, Quality of Care is an important area of focus for the Department of Health over the next four years, and will build on the work of the last five years, which focussed largely on increased access to health care.
One of the key concerns about reproductive health services is that there is a gap between the services, which are offered, and the clients needs. All too often, an unintended pregnancy occurs because of incorrect or irregular use, inadequate information and lack of choice on the method. As much as most of pregnancies are unplanned and/or unwanted, so is repeated termination of pregnancies. Termination of pregnancy should not be seen as a contraceptive method and should not be used as such.
I am excited to talk about the two policies to young people. I know you have the potential of liberating the country especially when empowered and able to take decisions. So I am saying, to all of you, a popular version of these policy guidelines are being developed and will be easy to carry for guidance on your daily lives. I am emphasizing young people because they are the future leaders of the country. I am hoping young people will call us as their parents, brothers and sisters and government departments, business sector, NGO's and CBO's to work together to build this country. The Department of Health is committed to provide for and respond to the health needs of all South Africans.
I hope that we will one day look back upon today with pride; it is indeed a building block in laying the foundation for high quality reproductive health services and youth programmes, which are the cornerstones of development and gender equity. It enables young people and women to make personal choices they would not otherwise be able to, and will ultimately help to ensure that the youth and women of South Africa are able to enjoy more fully their fundamental human rights.
VIVA YOUNG PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA VIVA
VIVA WOMEN OF SOUTH AFRICA VIVA