The Sierra Leone Business Forum (SLBF) with financial support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has ended a one day workshop on the theme ‘corporate social responsibility of private sector companies partnering to accelerate progress towards re-vitalizing family planning programs in Sierra Leone’ took place at the CHASL conference Hall Kingharman Road in Freetown.
Delivering the welcome remarks the Deputy Director of the Sierra Leone Business Forum Franklyn Williams properly explained about the objective of the workshop which he said is geared towards promoting family planning in Sierra Leone.
He saidthe Private/public sector needs to come together to make a difference in promoting maternal health in the country through corporate social responsibilities in various communities they operate.
HashinaBeguna Technical Family Planning Specialist of UNFPA in a power point presentation highlighted how the private sector companies can integrate family planning into their corporate social responsibility programs.
A representative of UNFPA also said that Bill and Melinda Gates and the David Lucile and Packard Foundation, along with Johnson are major donors to UNFPA in promoting family planning and maternal health around the world.
Johnson and Johnson in Nigeria and ELLE Magazine in Belgium are also helping in the fight against fistula and a local water company in Sierra Leone also contributed to family planning. Florence Bull a representative of the family planning division of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation also spoke about the need to complement government efforts to accelerate progress towards re-vitalizing family planning programs. In a power point presentation the Indian Technical Family Planning Specialist at UNFPA HastrinaBengura stated that family planning is paramount towards socio-economic development in the country and called on the private sector to support family planning.
She added that UNFPA remains committed and determined to promote family planning in close partnership with the private sector so as to promote the campaign towards a healthy population.
The consultative forum was chaired by a representative of the Chamber of Commerce who called on private sector representatives to support family planning through their corporate social responsibility.
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