Stakeholders have advocated for better healthcare for adolescents to support their development and growth.
The stakeholders said this on the sidelines of the Adolescent & Youth Health and Development Technical Working Group (AYHD TWG) quarterly meeting on Tuesday in Osogbo.
They also called for more support from Civil Society Organisations, International Donors, and non-governmental organisations for the rights and development of adolescents.
In her remarks, Mrs Roseline Akinlabi, Adolescent Health Desk Officer, Osun Primary Healthcare Board, said the purpose of the meeting was to synergise with stakeholders on matters affecting adolescents in the state and find a way forward.
Akinlabi said adolescents’ transition age startex from 10 to 19 years, with many adolescents not knowing their rights about their sexual reproductive health.
“This is a stage when young girls get confused about their sexual healthcare, and if they are not guided, they can be victims of unwanted pregnancy at an early stage.
“The need for stakeholders to find lasting solutions on youth and adolescent development becomes paramount, and that necessitated the meeting, she said.
Akinlabi, however, appreciated CSOs, state government donors, and international partners for their efforts in ensuring that adolescent and youth development was given adequate attention in the state.
She added that the technical working group would continue to play key roles in creating more awareness, promoting collaboration, and knowledge sharing on issues surrounding adolescent health.
Also, Mrs Rabiyat Busari Rabiyat, adolescent advocate and member of the technical working group, called for collaborative efforts to end stigmatisation of adolescents in society.
Busari called for integrated digital literacy in school curricula and also strengthening youth-friendly services among adolescents for accessibility and confidentiality.
Similarly, Mr Olatunbosun Olabimi, the Coordinator of One House Development Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, said that young people and adolescents needed to be informed about the right choices concerning their sexual reproductive health.
Olabomi also said that when adolescents were better informed about what choices they should make, it made the society safer for them to live.
The Director of Basic Education in the state Ministry of Education, Mr Mayowa Oyetunji, said that adolescents’ and young people’s health should concern everyone, including parents, teachers, community leaders, and others.
Oyetunji said the state government had been doing a lot to assist young students within the confines of their schools on norms of health and rights.
He said that issues regarding mental health and well-being of students had been a major priority for the government to ensure better living among them.
“We go to schools to sensitise students on the consequences of Gender-Based Violence, dangers of female pregnancy, unplanned marriages, and other negative vices.
“Parents and teachers’ platforms are being used to also advise parents and students on the need for caution and paying close attention to their subjects”, she said.