|
Trainer: More youths access reproductive health services
2008-02-27 09:10:04
By Felix Andrew
The number of youths accessing hospital services has increased in recent years, thanks to sensitisation campaigns undertaken by the government in collaboration with the private sector.
Speaking shortly after the start of an adolescent reproductive health rights and youth-friendly services(YFS) training held in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Dr. Zuhura Majapa, a trainer in adolescent reproductive health in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said the number of youths attending health services in hospitals had increased due to the start of special health services for the youth.
The two-week training has been organised by Marie Stopes Tanzania ( MST) and funded by the British Department for International Development (DfID).
She said youth-friendly services were established to enable youths get health services without interference from elders.
She said before the start of the services many youths were afraid of going to hospital.
According to her, since the establishment of youth-friendly service centres there has been an increase in the number of youths seeking health services from the centres.
She said in the past many youths who had health problems preferred to buy medicines from pharmacies instead of going to hospital for medical check-up.
``This posed a threat to the nation since a big segment of the country\'s population is comprised of youths. If left without health services youths could endanger their lives and the nation ,`` she said.
She said there was a need to establish more youth-friendly services in various government and non-government health centres to enable more youths access them.
For his part, MST project manager for youth-friendly services Dr. Dunstan Bishanga called on service providers to strive to change youth attitudes, especially with regard to health-related matters.
``I understand that the number of youths who attend hospitals has been increasing but more effort should be made to ensure youths opt to go to hospital for medical services``, he said.
Speaking earlier, YFS training coordinator Veronica Nkurunziza said the training\'s objective was to enable service providers to offer better services to the youth.
She said the participants were also trained on how to educate youths in understanding their reproductive health rights.
A total of 15 health workers from government health centres in Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo, Kibaha, Meru and Simanjiro districts are attending the two-week training .
Opening the training on behalf of MST executive director Edward Wambugu, the NGO\'s Advocacy and Public Relations Manager Dr. John Bosco Baso thanked the Ministry of Health and DfID for their support in youth-related matters.
He said the ministry and the department had been in the forefront in the provision of necessary support concerning youth health.
MST has been conducting YFS in all its health centers located in more than 16 districts countrywide for more than three years now.
|
