Launching of 2nd National Strategy on Adolescent Health
After the first assessment of Adolescent Reproductive Health Strategy (ARHS) in 2006-2016, Bangladesh government has launched the second Dissemination of National Strategy of Adolescent Health (NSAH) on 19th June at Sonargaon Hotel. DGFP, UNICEF, UNFPA , Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canadian High Commission have partnership on this strategy. Health Minister Mohammad Nasim was presented as chief guest in the program.
This time, government has focused on four strategy including adolescent sexual and reproductive health, violence against adolescent, adolescent nutrition and mental health of adolescent. At present, about 36 million adolescents are in Bangladesh. In 2011, the number of adolescent aged between 11-19 was about 30.8 million. The adolescent population will increase till 2021.
Investment on the adolescent health care will also have impact in Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 3,4,5,8 which are all interconnected. The challenges on adolescent issues are lack of access to information and services, poverty, gender inequality, negative social norms, early child marriage and early pregnancy etc.
The chief guest Mohammad Nasim has asked to take action against early child marriage, aware the young boys and girls about the health services. He has also asked the health service providers to work together in the grass root level. He adds, “I don’t want to see any conflict between health and family planning officials’.
The Netherlands ambassador Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere has said, Bangladesh has introduced a highly demandable issue to focus on. Netherlands will provide support to work on this issue.
Family welfare division secretary Serajul Islam adolescent health service is highly needed for the 36 million people in the country. He has asked to implement the strategy as soon as possible.
Representative of UNICEF and UNFPA, Director General of DGFPA were also present in the program.
Source: Financial Express
