Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed Nasim inaugurated the national adolescent health education materials and a daylong adolescent health fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the city on Sunday to raise awareness on health issues among the adolescents. Directorate General of Family Planning of the Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands jointly organised the event, said a press release.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken the initiative to establish two adolescent-friendly healthcare centres in each upazila (sub-district).
The national adolescent health education materials will encourage them to receive care from the adolescent-friendly health care centres. Limited access to credible information by adolescents often makes them victims of child marriage, early and unwanted pregnancies, abuse, exploitation and under nutrition.
These push them into life threatening risks and also lead to death in many cases, said a press release. It is, therefore, crucial to provide adolescents – comprising one-fifth of the country’s total population – with proper information, education and healthcare related communication materials so that they may grow up to be intelligent, well-informed and responsible adults. The launch of IEC materials and the adolescent fair were funded by the ADOHEARTS (Adolescent Health and Rights Enhancement through Innovation and System Strengthening) project, led by UNICEF and supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
