Society for Family Health (SFH) has called on the government of Nasarawa State, north-central Nigeria, to carry out projects aimed at improving the well-being of adolescents across the state.
Development Diaries learnt that the Managing Director of SFH, Dr Omokhudu Ighodo, made the call at the closeout meeting of the Adolescent 360 (A360) project implemented by SFH.
In Nigeria, more than half of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 who are currently married, have husbands who are 10 or more years older than they are, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Innovations and Partnership Specialist at SFH, Oyebukola Tomori-Adeleye, who represented Ighodo, said that the project was aimed at ensuring that adolescents, especially adolescent girls, make informed decisions towards achieving their dreams.
He applauded the state government for creating favourable conditions to enable SFH to implement the A360 project in the state.
On her part, the Northern Regional Coordinator of SFH, Anita Elabo, explained that the project was designed to improve the sexual and reproductive health outcomes of adolescents and young people.
According to Elabo, 7,537 married adolescent girls have visited health facilities to access sexual and reproductive health services.
Interpersonal Communication agents (IPCAs), according to her, were also employed to reach out to their husbands to educate them on the benefits of contraceptives for childbirth spacing.
In response, public health director at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Adamu, who represented the commissioner for health, commended SFH for implementing the project in the state.
Adamu said that the state would carry out the project in two more local government areas to help break the cultural and religious barriers hindering ASRH services in the state.
Executive chairman of the Nasarawa Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCA), Dr Mohammed Adis, said the NPHCA was committed to improving the well-being of adolescents in the state.
The Adolescent 360 project is also being implemented in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Edo, Delta, and Kaduna States.
Source: Naija247News
Photo source: International Women’s Health Coalition
