A local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) has called all stakeholders and the media for concerted efforts in narrowing the gap in addressing adolescents' sexual health and rights needs and challenges in the country.
The call was made Wednesday in Mponela, Dowa during a media workshop organized by FPAM to enable the scribes understand the project which is surrounding Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and HIV among adolescents.
The three month project was being funded by German government through GiZ and Malawi government through UNAIDS in six districts with a population of 1, 840 203 adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years old.
"So far, we have trained 69 young people as peer educators in each district, developed and disseminate easy to use information, education and communication materials in the initiation ceremonies and sister to sister initiation camps and other traditional ceremonies.
"Over 600 teachers on how to provide comprehensive and correct information on vulnerability and risks related to unintended pregnancy, HIV infection and pregnancy among adolescents in and out school," said Charity Kabondo, GiZ Project Coordinator working with FPAM.
She added, "We also noted that there are still a lot of issues affective adolescents field by cultural and religious beliefs and it is that resistance that we all need to come in and work hand in hand. This is the age group as a country we need to invest in and with all SRH information and services we can have a great Malawi."
The project among other things, aimed at making sure that 50 percent of adolescents in and out school in the targeted districts have correct information and relevant skills to reduce their vulnerability to HIV and 70 percent of the same group living with HIV accessing the treatment, care and quality support services in the targeted districts.
FPAM provides high quality, affordable comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services for young people, women and men by following a rights based approach.
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