The Anambra State Government has established adolescent-friendly corners in six Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) to improve young people’s access to confidential sexual and reproductive health information and quality healthcare services.
Mrs Ifeoma Nwakpadolu, Officer-in-Charge of Adolescent Reproductive Health Programmes at the State Ministry of Health, made the disclosure in Awka on Wednesday.
She said the initiative, implemented by the Ministry in collaboration with the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA) and an NGO, Jhpiego, covered three Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The beneficiary facilities are Aguata and Oye Achina PHCs in Aguata LGA, Odekpe and Okpoko PHCs in Ogbaru LGA, and Oba and Alor PHCs in Idemili South LGA.
Nwakpadolu said the initiative was designed to address barriers preventing adolescents from accessing healthcare services.
“Many young people are uncomfortable visiting conventional healthcare facilities because such environments might not adequately address their peculiar health and developmental concerns.
“These corners will provide safe, welcoming and confidential spaces where adolescents can freely discuss their health, sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial and developmental concerns without fear, embarrassment, stigma or discrimination.
“Adolescents are more likely to seek healthcare when they feel safe, respected and assured that their privacy and confidentiality will be protected,” she said.
Nwakpadolu said the initiative would encourage young people to make PHCs their preferred point of contact whenever they have health-related concerns.
She said the selected PHCs had been equipped with educational and recreational materials, including television sets, tables and chairs, motivational and educational books, question-and-answer materials and brain games.
Other materials provided include Ludo, ladders, table tennis equipment and skipping ropes.
According to her, the equipment will make the facilities more welcoming and attractive to adolescents.
Also speaking, Mr Amaechi Okafor, Team Lead, Jhpiego’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Project in Anambra, said the materials were procured specifically to strengthen youth-friendly services at the selected facilities.
Okafor said the project currently supports six PHCs, with plans to extend the intervention to additional facilities.
He said the initiative was funded by the Global Fund through the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme in collaboration with Jhpiego.
“The intervention is part of broader efforts to strengthen youth-friendly services and improve adolescents’ access to appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and services.
“Creating an enabling environment for adolescents is critical to increasing service uptake and ensuring that young people receive accurate information and appropriate healthcare whenever needed,” he said.
Receiving the items on behalf of ASPHCDA, its Executive Secretary, Dr Chizoba Ezeasor, expressed the agency’s commitment to strengthening adolescent-responsive healthcare services across the state.
Ezeasor commended the partners for supporting the establishment of the adolescent-friendly corners.
“I strongly believe that this initiative will reduce barriers to healthcare access, increase health-seeking behaviour and utilisation of PHCs among young people in Anambra,” she said.
