Stakeholders in the health sector have called for sustainable interventions towards addressing the healthcare challenges and vulnerabilities faced by adolescents and young people in Nigeria.
They made the call during the fourth scientific roundtable organised by the Centre for Integrated Health Programmes (CIHP) in Abuja with the theme: “The Missing Link: Reducing Vulnerabilities of Adolescents and Young Persons Through Sustainable Interventions”.
The stakeholders said adolescents and young people in Nigeria faced health challenges ranging from high ratse of HIV and other infectious diseases, substance abuse and unmet reproductive health needs. In addition, adolescent girls and young women specifically face additional barriers, including Gender-Based Violence (GBV), early marriage and lack of access to education and reproductive health services.
A Deputy Director at the National Agency for the Control of AIDS ( NACA), Chukwugozie Ujam, said there was the need for all stakeholders to work together towards achieving the target of reducing the vulnerabilities.
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He said the federal government on its part was working towards providing an enabling environment for the youth to thrive and express themselves.
He further said it was also providing correct information to adolescents and young people.
He said, “This includes how we can educate the youth and adolescents, give them safe spaces for them to express themselves, give them areas where they can get some of their myths busted and give them proper and correct information; to empower them to know that if you’re a victim or perceive yourself as under threat, you have got a place where you can go and express yourself and get help.”
He further said the agency had achieved progress in addressing HIV care gaps for young people and the general HIV response in the country.
he added that, “What we are striving to do right now is to make sure that we maintain the low numbers. And one of the things that we do is to ensure that there are prevention measures in place and that people continue to get tested so that if they need to go on treatment, they can at least prevent new infections.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Salma Anas-Ibrahim, who was represented by Fatima Jibrilla, said adolescents and young persons were one of the important groups of the population in Nigeria, noting that about 60 per cent of the population was between the ages of 25 and lower.
She said adolescents might be vulnerable due to so many factors, including physical challenges, substance abuse, family dynamics and other life challenges.
She further said, “But then, this administration has identified youth interventions in general, including the adolescent and young persons interventions. Because of their importance in the population, we have to support them and empower them.”
While noting that lack of accurate health information and access to quality healthcare services increased their vulnerability , she said the present administration had prioritised and launched interventions for adolescents and young persons.
The CEO of CIHP, Dr Bolanle Oyeledun, said there had not been enough focus on young people, adding that the potential of every single country was actually the investment it madesin young people.
She said, “So, having this scientific roundtable, especially this week, with the commemoration of the International Youth Day, is also to let us really focus on what we are doing for young people, what we can do for young people and to also hear from young people what they want us to do and how they are helping themselves.”
Dr Uwemedimo Uko Esiet, co-founder and Director of Action Health, said there was the need to strengthen Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of adolescents and young people in Nigeria.
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