By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Office of the Vice President, in collaboration with UNFPA The Gambia, officially launched The Gambia Investment Case on Friday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo.
The Gambia Investment Case is a comprehensive document that presents compelling evidence of the need to invest in the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in The Gambia.
At the launch ceremony, UNFPA Country Representative Ndeye Rose Sarr gave an overview of the investment case. She highlighted key reflections for action, emphasizing the importance of investing in the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls as a critical driver of national development.
The investment case outlines the economic, social, and health benefits of investing in sexual and reproductive health. It also provides a roadmap for action, identifying key interventions that can be implemented to achieve the desired outcomes.
The launch of the investment case is a significant step towards mobilizing resources for sexual and reproductive health in The Gambia. The document is a valuable tool that can be used to advocate for increased investment in this critical area.
“The report emphasizes the need for sustainable financing to support maternal health, family planning, and efforts to combat gender-based violence. And highlights the importance of strengthening partnerships, and it reveals that achieving our ambitious goals by 2030 requires us to work closely with development partners. The government, other UN country agencies, the private sector, and the civil society organizations,” she highlighted.
Madam Sarr emphasized the need for unity in sharing expertise and pooling resources in order to realize their vision.
“A funding requirement of 26.4 million on the modest scenario and up to 77.4 million on the ambitious scenario is needed from 2023 to 2030, While the government projected spending on reproductive health expenditures and the requirement of combined investment cases for family planning, maternal health, and gender-based violence ranges from 30 million US dollars in the modest scenario to 71 million in an ambitious scenario in which the government needs to tackle the issues”. She said.
According to the report, investing in anti-FGM efforts between 2023 and 2030 could prevent up to 46 percent of cases of female genital mutilation (FGM).
The Minister of Public Service, Hon. Baboucarr Bouy, spoke on behalf of the vice president and said that The Gambia’s investment case provides a clear overview of the requirements, funding flows, and financial shortfalls associated with reaching the three zeros. He also reiterated the government’s continued support for the three zeros.
“Between 2023 and 2030 approximately three hundred thousand cases of FGM including child Marriage may occur in the Gambia if the situation remains the same,” he stated.
Minister Bouy further highlighted the importance of understanding the anticipated cost and additional investment required which he described to be crucial particularly since the Gambia has just completed the development of a green recovery-focused national development plan, which includes Support from achieving the three transformational results.
Seraphine Wakana, the UN resident coordinator to the Gambia said the investment case is not just a document but a roadmap that will enable them to better understand the needs, funding flows, and the gaps in maternal health, family planning, and gender based violence.
She said if they don’t close the resource gaps and increase the political commitment at all levels it will not be possible for them to Accelerate progress throughout their goals.
“As we note in the future the investment case will help us develop the National level roadmap for financing maternal health, family planning, and gender equality. And this roadmap will be creating a vacuum understanding of our fiscals space ensuring that our investment case is not only impactful but also sustainable,” she said.