Mobile app to help teenagers access healthcare
Millions of adolescents and youth in Bangladesh will be able to access health information and services through two online portals launched today at The National Adolescent Health Conference held in Dhaka.
The website and mobile application, aims to increase awareness and ensure easy access to physical and mental health information and services for adolescents, said a press release.
The portals were launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with support from UNICEF and the Embassy of Sweden.
"Adolescents can be powerful agents of change, and we must do all we can to empower them and to address their age-specific needs," said Health Minister Zahid Maleque.
"The launch of these platforms represents the government's commitment to strengthen adolescent-friendly health services in Bangladesh," he said.
Adolescents in Bangladesh, accounting for over 36 million of the country's population, face multiple social barriers to accessing information and health services that are essential for them to grow and thrive, said the release.
Low awareness and social stigma about mental health and mental illness, for example, are widespread among communities. And when it comes to sexual and reproductive health, it is challenging for both girls and boys to seek and find trusted information and vital services, it added.
"Adolescence is a transformative time when teenagers are exposed not only to a new sense of independence but also new challenges," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh.
"Adolescents need access to information, skills and services to enable them to reduce risk, but also to grow into capable adults that form a strong foundation for the next generation and the global future," he said.
"The app gives them critical health information that they may be too shy to ask from parents, peers or health professionals," the UNICEF representative also said.
The Adolescent Health platforms include educational and gender-adapted guides and courses on sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, violence, and physical and mental health as well as information on how and where to access adolescent-friendly health services, the release said.
To promote widespread use of the platform, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Ministry of Education will engage with adolescent clubs, youth peer groups and teachers in all secondary schools in the country.
"The Adolescent Health platforms have the potential to improve the lives of millions of girls and boys in Bangladesh. We are delighted to be a part of this initiative," said Alexandra Berg von Linde, ambassador of Sweden.