Fast tracking adolescent health for the demographic dividend: adolescent now for the healthy, November 2017
Championing for the Health Adolescents and Youths
According to the Kenya National
Bureau of Statistics, there are approximately 9.1 million adolescents between
the ages of 10-19 years in Kenya[1] which
constitutes about 24% of Kenya’s total population. Adolescence is the period in
human growth and development that occurs after childhood and before adulthood,
from ages 10 to 19, where young adolescents are between the ages of 10-14 years
and older adolescents are between the ages of 15-19 years[2].
The adolescent stage presents a critical and opportune time for human and
economic investment, in view of achieving a demographic dividend for Kenya.
Despite the window of opportunity
that adolescence presents, many adolescents face considerable high risk of
adverse immediate and chronic health consequences. Social contexts exert the
most powerful effects at this stage which include economic and educational
status as well as peer influence to engage in habits such as use of alcohol,
cigarettes, recreational drugs, poor eating habits and early initiation to
sexual relationships. It is imperative to note that often, these habits
progress to abuse. Evidence suggests that adolescents experience a higher rate
of violence and injuries, self-esteem and adjustment issues, depression and
other mental health problems than any other age groups[1].
Moreover, it is also the stage at which vulnerabilities to harmful practices
such as female genital mutilation, early marriages and sexual and gender based
violence[2] accentuate.
Due to the many challenges faced
by adolescents in Kenya, the Ministry of Health has organized to convene policy
makers, ministry of health officials, development and implementation partners,
regional, national and county representatives, academia, researchers, public
and private practitioners and adolescents themselves, to a joint forum in order
to address the myriad issues affecting their health. Towards this end, the
Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Unit of the Ministry of Health has
organized this one-day, adolescent driven, pre-symposium on the 22nd of
November 2017 and a 2-day adolescent health symposium from 23rd to 24th
November 2017.
The ultimate goal of the
symposium is to improve the holistic multi-sector approach to adolescent health
at all levels of service delivery whilst ensuring that adolescents fully
participate in developing themselves, their families, communities and the
nation, towards harnessing the demographic dividend.
Objectives of the 2nd Kenya National Adolescent Health Symposium
To stimulate debate around a
multi-sector approach to improving Adolescent Health through coordination and
interaction of the health, education and financial sectors.
Promote scale up/replication of
evidence based interventions that are demonstrated to have worked in various
settings including country implementation of the Global Accelerated Action for
the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!) guidelines.
Identify new approaches to
adolescent health interventions/ investments.
Build partnerships and synergies
across different disciplines together with adolescents.
Symposium Thematic Areas
1.
Leadership
and governance for Adolescent Health
a. Adolescent participation in
adolescent health leadership decisions
b. Parenting and Adolescent Health
c. Child headed households
d. Legal challenges in Adolescents
and Adolescent Health
2.
Adolescent
Health and Education
a. Integration of screening and
diagnosis of health conditions in learning institutions
b. Management of illness and chronic
health conditions in schools
c. Educating Adolescents on their
health in and out of school
d. Positive engagement of
adolescents during school holidays
3.
Adolescent
Health and Economics
a. Innovations in financing
adolescent health including universal health care
b. Income generating activities
c. Entrepreneurship
d. Microfinance
e. Cash transfer programs
4.
Adolescent
Health Service Delivery
a. Communicable diseases affecting
adolescents (HIV, TB, Malaria etc.)
b. Non-Communicable diseases
affecting adolescents (Mental Health and substance abuse, violence and
injuries, diabetes, etc.)
c. Sexual and Reproductive Health
d. Nutrition
e. Adolescent and Youth Friendly
service provision (public and private healthcare facilities and in the
community)
5.
Crosscutting
issues in Adolescent Health
a. Disabilities
b. Gender
c. Health rights
d. Information Technology (m-health
and e-health)
Implementation strategies
The symposium was done in a way
that it would have been easier for the adolescent to understand. Projected
presentation was used, open forums and question and answer sessions were also
there.
Different people were involved,
there were almost 18 different organization which were presented and had
something to add on the table. The adolescents and the young youths were also
involved in presenting issues that affects the adolescents. there was also peer
to peer sessions and facilitation between the adolescents, stakeholders and the
youths who were present.
The purpose of these activities
were to raise issues that were not mentioned or discussed, to network, to
create a safe space for the adolescents through the peer to peer session and to
create awareness on issues that affects the adolescents.
RESULT.
The symposium was a success since
the target group was reached, addressed, educated and empowered on how to
participate and being involved in the policy making and implementation of
policies that will affect them directly in the 4 discussed thematic areas.
The stakeholders also promised
the adolescents for total support in overcoming issues that affect them.
CHALLENGES
Using bogus words which the
adolescents found it hard to relate with hence causing confusion amongst the
adolescents
Less involvement of the
adolescents in taking lead of the symposium talking and addressing these issues
were done by non adolescents.
Writted by a Youth Champion
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