Kingdom of Tonga Country Statement on Achieving Zero Unmet Needs

In alignment with the Nairobi ICPD25 Summit goals, The Kingdom of Tonga strives to achieve zero unmet need for family planning information and services and universal availability of quality, affordable and safe modern contraceptives by no later than 2030. While the challenge is multifaceted, Tonga is committed to addressing this via strong partnerships, inclusive engagement and multidimensional and rigorous initiatives. Education and the Youth are part of Tonga’s strongest driving factors for development and key leveraging points for change. With the Family Life Education in development, Tonga is committed to empowering girls and young people to make informed decisions on their sexual and reproductive health and rights. By 2030, the Family Life Education component will become a staple item in Tonga’s curriculum and will pave the way for the realization of the rights of both young women and men. The raw potential and drive of the youth and adolescent will require nurturing with sound evidence and information. To harness such potential, Tonga has implemented various initiatives including Awareness Behavioral Change activities, Youth Parliament and Peer Education. Tonga is committed to ensure that such inclusive platforms are in place to empower, equip and engage all youth by 2030 and onward. The heart of all these efforts is Tonga’s Health System, which will require strengthening in different aspects such supply chains, capacity building efforts, infrastructural developments, sustainable financing and rigorous monitoring and evaluation. The Package of Essential Health Services document developed in Tonga specifies a range of health services including staff, drugs, contraceptives, facilities and equipment that will be available to all Tongans to meet Universal Health Coverage. On that note, Tonga is committed to ensure that there will be zero stock out of family planning commodities and modern contraceptives from all Health facilities by 2030.

Modes of engagement:

• Policy and guidance
  The Package of Essential Health Services Health Facility Readiness Assessment
• Programmatic action
  Integration of the Family Life Education Curriculum Behavioral Change and Communication Youth Engagement and Inclusiveness Youth Parliament Peer Education Supply of modern Contraceptives Capacity Building Infrastructural Development