A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

society to mental health issues and care. 342 It should also utilize and help rebuild traditional
and community-based support mechanisms as a way of promoting mental health of the
population. 343 When addressing the mental health needs of people, the government should
refer to the recommendations set forth in the Declaration of Cooperation in Mental Health of
Refugees, Displaced and Other Populations Affected by Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations
(2000) as a guiding framework. 344
• Health care to treat physical ailments should be
available to all victims, in particular those who
sustained injuries during the war and victims of
sexual violence.
• The Government of Liberia should ensure
the promotion of women’s right to health,
including sexual and reproductive health. 346
This right includes:
o the right to control fertility;
o the right to decide whether to have
children, the number of children, and
the spacing of children;
o the right to choose any method of
contraception;
o the right to self-protection and to be
protected against sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV/AIDS;
o the right to be informed on one’s
health status and on the health status
of one’s partner, particularly if affected
with sexually transmitted infections,
including HIV/AIDS, in accordance
with internationally recognized
standards and best practices;
o the right to have family planning
education; and 347
o the right to maternal health and nutritional services. 348
464
Potential Implementation Strategy: Public
Education on Reproductive Health
Studies by the Guttmacher Institute
looking at groups of African countries have
found several implementation strategies
that are particularly necessary or effective
for addressing issues of reproductive
health. 345 For example, mass media-particularly
radio, and also television and
newspapers--was found to be a major
source of information for youth. Television
shows or government newspapers with
programs addressing issues of sexual and
reproductive health had a positive impact.
People in traditional roles had a large
impact through disseminating information,
and thus education and awareness
programs targeted at these leaders are
essential. Importantly, those interventions
that were most comprehensive and relied
on multiple sectors such as schools,
health systems, and communities, had
the greatest impact. The Government
of Liberia may wish to consider similar
strategies when seeking to promote and
enhance reproductive health.