Speeches of Ambassador Perry

Women's Health Event (6 Nov 08)

Madame First Lady Mrs. Sia Koroma,
Honorable Minister of Health,
Distinguished guests from Zambia,
Members of the Sierra Leone Government,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Welcome and good morning.

We are deeply honored to have Sierra Leone’s First Lady as we continue our Women’s Health Programs. 

Women are the foundation of society -- they determine the health and well being of their families, caring for partners, children, aging parents, and the community.  

They are the providers of sustenance, advice, care, and stability in so many homes, but they are also leaders in their communities, in government, and in civil society. 

With so much responsibility to balance, women sometimes find it difficult to make time and resources available to care for their own health, mind, body, and spirit!  What many don't consider is that in order to keep your family, community, and nation healthy, you must must must keep yourself healthy.

That includes the usual -- taking time to exercise, managing stress, eating healthy foods, scheduling regular health checkups, and seeking treatment when necessary.  In addition, it includes engaging your mind with hobbies and interaction with friends and peers, and it includes engaging your soul with prayer, meditation, or whatever activity brings you peace.
At different stages of a woman's life, her health concerns shift.  If you are in your 20s and 30s, regular breast, cervical and ovarian cancer screenings along with regular checkups, keeping yourself informed about STDs and other illnesses, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will keep you young. 

As you move through your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, health concerns grow, including diverse forms of cancer, osteoporosis, and challenges connected to hormone change.  Maintaining your health requires more attention.  Keeping in touch with your body is the first step to a long, healthy life, but keeping in touch with your doctor is just as important.

At every stage of life, not only for women but for all people, knowing your HIV status and your partner's HIV status is essential.  Smart, responsible women and mothers know their status so they can lead a healthy life style for themselves and their families.  Because Sierra Leone has low-cost and no-cost anti-retroviral therapy in abundance and advances in technology have made living positively with HIV possible, every individual should take charge and get tested.  If you or your partner do test HIV positive, health care is available.  Equally important to drug therapy is adhering to a healthy lifestyle, including good nutrition, exercise, and safe reproductive health practices become more and more important.  You will hear more about testing programs later, but be aware that the USG through the Defense Departments HIV/AIDs Prevention Program provides $400 thousand in education and $900 thousand in equipment.  The DHAPP Program supplies RSLAF members, their families and civilian communities. 

All of these programs are free of charge.
Many women, sadly, still believe that an HIV diagnosis means that having healthy children is impossible.  In fact, with proper treatment, mother to child transmission of HIV is almost 100% preventable.  A single dose of nevarapine to mother and baby at birth can prevent HIV transmission.

Of course, the importance of family support increases ever more when health challenges are present.  My heart has been broken by stories of women who were deserted by their husband's upon revealing a positive HIV status, even in cases where the husband is himself positive.  I implore the men in the audience to be there for the women in your lives just as they have been there for you so many times.

We could not talk about women's health in Sierra Leone without mentioning the infant and maternal mortality rate.  In this country, one in eight women die in child birth, and the rate of infant mortality is even higher -- one in five do not survive past age 5.  

So what can we do to overcome deaths in child birth?  The most important tool we can provide is knowledge.  While there are challenges related to the quality of service available in Sierra Leone, there is equally a problem of women not knowing what services are available.  Many problems associated with having a baby such as poor nutrition, high blood pressure, diabetes can be easily prevented through regular prenatal care.

The rate of infant mortality represents a loss of Sierra Leone's future.  Each child who dies has the potential for greatness.  Think of the loss to Sierra Leone and the world if a child with the creativity and ingenuity to cure AIDS does not make it into kindergarten.  Lack of available services is a problem, but well baby clinics can often detect potential problems in a newborn or child before the baby displays any symptoms.  The most easily preventable diseases can not be prevented if parents do not focus on their babies' health.  While infant health is a crucial issue for women, it is truly a matter of life and death for the nation as a whole.

I am so pleased today to be joined by people who have demonstrated an enormous commitment to the pursuit of health in Sierra Leone.  Madame First Lady Sia Koroma has used her background as a medical professional to take some great initiatives since her husband took office.  Mr. Rumishael Shoo, representing UNICEF, has done tremendous work in Sierra Leone and around the world to improve the health of children.  Police Superintendent Gezepi Chakulunta has served as HIV/AIDS Coordinator for the Zambian National Police since 2002 working issues such as stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, promoting no fees for HIV testing and anti-retroviral therapy and is leading drafting of legislation and support to gay and lesbian Africans, an often ignored and little understood population.

Dr. Brima Kargbo is the head of Sierra Leone’s HIV/AIDs Secretariat, a most important organization in carrying out the goals of the AIDs Fund.  We thank them for sharing their experiences today.

And we thank you for joining us this morning.  Seeing the enthusiastic participation in this event gives me confidence that the health of women is a priority for Sierra Leoneans, as it is a priority for the United States.

Thank you.
[Introduction]
Now, It is my distinct honor to now introduce an expert in the area of health, Mrs. Sia Koroma who is not only a Nurse herself, but the First Lady of Sierra Leone and recognized leader in Women’s Health.