Neglect raises adolescent health risk
Speakers tell seminar
Lack of attention to adolescents' healthcare in general and their reproductive health in particular increases the vulnerability of around 33 million adolescents (aged between 10 and 19) in the country, speakers at a seminar said yesterday.
As the adolescents pass through a transition period of physical and mental change, they encounter an array of health and social vulnerabilities that often lead them to engage in risky sexual behaviour even.
So it is important to address their vulnerabilities through increasing their knowledge on reproductive health and creating a supporting environment so that they can share their problems with their parents and seek medical services if necessary, said the speakers.
Speakers at the dissemination seminar of mid-term review of Strengthening Adolescent Reproductive Health Project also said that increased knowledge on reproductive health and support from the parents and community people can play an important role.
Plan Bangladesh organised the seminar on mid-term review conducted by Nielsen at the city's Spectra convention centre where the achievement of the project was highlighted.
The mid-term review revealed that knowledge on risky behaviours has increased among the adolescents at Plan's Intervention area in Dhaka City Corporation, Sreepur, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Chittagong City Corporation, and Shitakunda.
The project covering 2 lakh adolescents in these areas offered awareness-building programme among the teenagers through peer educators, community leaders, and schoolteachers.
Health Secretary Humayun Kabir was the chief guest while Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Khondhaker Shefyet Ullah, Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning MM Neazuddin, and representatives of Plan Bangladesh were present among others.
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