OGUN STATE GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES COMMITMENT TO IMPROVEMENT IN THE SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF ADOLESCENTS

 

The Ogun State government is committed to improving the Sexual and Reproductive Health of the adolescents, especially girls.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker said this at a Roundtable on Covid-19 and Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health with the theme:, “Meaningful Youth Engagement in Adolescents and Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs and Covid-19” held in Abeokuta.

Dr Coker who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, at the Roundtable organized by the State Primary Healthcare Development Board in conjunction with the Society for Family Health and Adolescent 360 Project maintained that the Southwest has become the major hub of education for the adolescents, accounting for 50 percent of intervention states in the country.

The Commissioner speaks further on the government’s readiness to ensure adequate implementation of adolescents health project.

In his presentation on “Impact of Covid-19 on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Ogun State”, the State Reproductive Health Coordinator, Dr Israel Orire, who expressed regret that many young girls got pregnant during the Covid-19 lockdown due to idleness, informed that 6,505 adolescent girls were reached during the period with 3,673 of them accessing health facilities while 2,706 accessed contraceptives during the period.

Pointing out that there was a sharp decrease in the uptake of family planning methods at health facilities during the peak of Covid-19 as people were afraid of being infected, Dr Orire speaks on other challenges encountered during the period.

Also speaking, the A360 Program Assistant, Mrs Eunice Ogunkelu saw the need for meaningful youth engagement, noting that building the capacity of the youths will make them to become advocates for adolescent sexual and Reproductive Health.

While calling for increased focus on adolescents and young people’s sexual and reproductive health issues such as gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies and need for contraceptives, Mrs Ogunkelu presented other demands by the A360 Project.

On her part, an A360 Young Designer, Mrs Bukola Ogunsemi acknowledged the economic and social constraints being faced by adolescents and called for the empowerment of young girls to reduce the economic pressure on them which often lead to unintended pregnancies.

Earlier in his presentation tagged, “Covid-19 in Ogun State: An overview”, the Director, Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Kayode Soyinka stated that the government, in demonstration of its commitment to tackling coronavirus, has continued to train, not only Health personnel across the state but also school Principals and teachers as well as health staff of Correctional facilities in the state on Covid-19 case management.

Dr Soyinka, who is the state Covid-19 Incident Manager, also spoke on the management of Covid-19 cases in the state.