PN says national sexual health strategy arrived ‘far too late, while people continue to suffer’

The Nationalist Party has argued that the long-awaited national sexual health strategy has arrived far too late, while people continue to suffer.

"Malta's last Sexual Health Strategy was issued in 2010, and the Nationalist Party has long called for an update to this strategy," said shadow minister for health Adrian Delia and shadow minister for equality Graziella Attard Previ during a press conference.

Last December, proposals from Malta's health strategy were launched, 15 years since the latest strategy, including the free distribution of condoms and the addition of emergency contraception to the national formulary.

During the launch, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela emphasised the government's commitment to promoting sexual health in a progressive and inclusive way, focusing on education, prevention, and services that reflect the realities of modern society.

The party said that whilst it welcomes the development, it is disappointed in the Labour government’s delayed action despite its advocacy on civil rights and progressive policies.

The strategy, which is currently open for public consultation, introduces several positive measures, including access to PrEP and PEP for HIV prevention, and the provision of free contraceptives.

The Opposition stressed the need for swift implementation, cautioning against leaving these proposals "on paper."

The PN MPs detailed their party's recommendations to enhance the strategy’s effectiveness including a more inclusive definition of sexual health, clearer criteria for measuring the strategy’s success and timelines for implementation, modernisation of sexual education, a concrete plan for distributing free contraceptives, improving access to sexual dysfunction medication and expansion of cancer screening programs, particularly for high-risk groups.

"The strategy acknowledges the increase in sexually transmitted infections but fails to specify how this issue will be addressed," the party noted, calling for targeted awareness campaigns and expanded community-based service

The party's call for continuous evaluation and timely updates to the strategy reflects the need for responsive public health policies in a rapidly changing landscape.