By Joyce Onuora, Abakaliki
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has recommended, for inter-Ministerial and agency synergy, the promotion of the health and educational wellbeing of adolescents and young people in the Ebonyi state.
Mrs Chikaodi Omokide, a UNESCO representative, made the remarks during an advocacy visit to Abakaliki, the state capital.
Omokide, who is also the Executive Director, GirlUp Africa, said that the project seeks to secure active collaboration and commitment of all stakeholders to educated, healthy and thriving adolescents in line with the proclamation of the ministers of education and Health of West and Central Africa (WCA) on 6 April, 2023, in Kintélé, Kenya.
The Director explained that the GirlUp Africa is a civil society organisation commissioned by UNESCO to lead the implementation of its 03 project in the state.
She led the implementing partners from the state universal basic education board to the ministry of education and the state primary healthcare development agency, where she demanded improved coordination between the two agencies to promote school connection to primary healthcare centres.
She noted that doing so would create the desired demand for good health seeking behaviour among in-school adolescents.
She said it would prevent unwanted outcomes of seeking information and care from the wrong quarters which may jeopardise their future.
She also called for specialised trainings for some school teachers and Officers in-charge of Primary healthcare Centres across the state to offer friendly services to in-school adolescents and young people, integrating Sexual, Reproductive Health services as well as Gender-based violence and HIV issues.
Omokide further revealed that UNESCO was about to train 1,111 in-service teachers in primary, Junior and Senior secondary schools, drawn from eight pilot Local government areas in the state.
She added that the Organization would also be training some officers in-charge of Primary Healthcare facilities on how to render adolescent-friendly services.
She called on the state to take the initiative to train more persons so as to raise sufficient advocates capable of equipping young people with the requisite knowledge and skills to make responsible and informed choices for their health and well-being.
Also speaking at the event, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Paul Awo Nwobasi, said his Ministry would strengthen assembly talks and moral instructions as a platform for sensitizing adolescents on their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
He directed the immediate inclusion of budget line for teachers’ training in the ongoing preparation of the 2025 budget of the Ministry, and assured that the Ministry would do everything possible to revive existing safe spaces in schools: clubs, societies to be manned by trained peer mentors where adolescents can share experiences and learn.
The advocacy visits featured the submission of the project demands and proclamation documents of the Ministers of Education and Health of West and Central Africa (WCA) to Ebonyi government officials.
