Ensuring access to sexual health services

A national adolescent and youth conclave was held at Bangla Academy in the capital recently by Unite for Body Rights (UBR) Bangladesh Alliance.

Policy support, proper direction and initiatives are vital in creating an environment for adolescents and youths to acquire information on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and ensuring availability of youth-friendly services, said a press release from UBR.

The conclave was inaugurated by Meher Afroz Chumki, member of parliament and chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women and Children Affairs. Harry Verweij, ambassador of Netherlands; Maya Vandenent, health chief of Unicef Bangladesh; Professor Abdul Mannan, director at Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education;  Dr Abul Hossain, project director of Multi-sectoral Programme on gender-based violence;  Mushfiqua Zaman Satiar, senior advisor (SRHR & Gender) at Netherlands embassy, and Barrister Sara Hossain, executive director at BLAST, attended the programme among representatives from different national and international organisations and youth leaders.

The conclave informed that the UBR project has been working with adolescents and youths since 2011 to ensure access to SRHR information and services. From the very beginning, the project is striving to realise this objective through providing comprehensive sexuality education and youth friendly services to 10-24 year-olds, with support from the government and development partners. In this context, the conclave was a step in advocacy for spreading the UBR model across the country.

While inaugurating the event, Meher Afroz Chumki said the government is establishing clubs for adolescents in all upazilas. She indicated her commitment towards integrating UBR’s beneficiaries in those clubs.

In the closing session, Harry Verweij said, “Quality education improves young peoples’ ability to participate in the labour market and significant investment is required to provide better health services, especially sexual, reproductive and mental health services that create a healthy and productive workforce.”