Thank you.
I'd like to start by acknowledging and thanking all of our witnesses for not being with us in person but being with us virtually. Championing the cause of sexual and reproductive health and the rights of women is definitely imperative, and welcoming ideas and ensuring that the rights and voices are respected is extremely critical.
I'd like to start by suggesting that in sub-Saharan Africa, many adolescents lack knowledge about menstruation and sexually transmitted diseases. To best educate our adolescents on sexual reproductive health is key. I understand that HIV is widespread. Knowledge of HIV is widespread but knowledge of others things with regard more specifically to menstruation and sexually transmitted infections is not. In order to gain insight on how we can best help these adolescents make informed decisions to lead to more positive experiences and to protect them from risk, I think education is the key.
My first question is for Ms. Okafor. Our previous witness mentioned that a focus on clinics and education is the best use of external dollars. Could you speak to how we can best fund the reproductive health rights of women through health care and education funding?
Thank you.