Adjumani district has received adolescent health materials from Naguru Teenage Information and Health Centre with funding from the Danish Embassy to strengthen youth-friendly services across the West Nile and Acholi sub-regions.
The handover ceremony took place at the district headquarters, with leaders and health workers commending the initiative as a timely boost to adolescent health and rights.
The materials delivered include “wheels of knowledge board games,” television sets, policy guidelines, flash disks containing educational films, and demonstration kits, all aimed at improving the delivery of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services.
These resources will be distributed to 18 health facilities in the district, where they are expected to play a vital role in engaging young people.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Executive Director of Naguru Teenage Centre, Dr. Rodgers Ampwera, said that the intervention is part of their broader mission to empower adolescents with accurate health information while making health facilities more youth-friendly.
The program called “SAY” is yet to be implemented in five districts in West Nile and Acholi sub-region and aims to strengthen access to health services among adolescent girls and young women, while also taking care of the young boys and men to ensure comprehensive access to sexual reproductive health, and addressing gender-based violence within those districts.
“We are doing this to make sure that we have safe spaces for young people through what we call youth friendly corners. So, as Naguru Teenage Centre, our commitment is to make sure that we support districts to be in position to deliver youth-friendly services in a comprehensive manner,” said Dr. Rogers.
Adjumani District Assistant Health Officer, Dr. Lulu Henry Leku, welcomed the donation, stressing that it will go a long way in addressing gaps in adolescent health service delivery.
“We have observed increasing the number of adolescent and young people getting aware of their sexual reproductive health needs and the number of them holding us accountable and demanding for these services.
“And arising from this, they have requested us to ensure we have facilities that can keep them at the health center. Facilities that can help them so that they can initiate conversation around SRS and TBV,” he added.
“So, it is on that basis that this facility will be able to attract, retain, motivate, but also more importantly contribute to the empowerment of our adolescents and young people on issues of sexual reproductive health and GBV while getting care in our healthcare facilities,” said Dr. Lulu Henry.
The Secretary for Health Adjumani District, Sabuni John, applauded Naguru Teenage Centre for the initiative and pledged their total support in utilizing the materials for its intended use.
“I want to appreciate Naguru Teenage and Information Centre for this support which is very crucial to our young girls and boys and I want to assure you that we are going to make sure this equipment is well utilized,” said Sabuni John.
Apio Sharon Ruth Baru, the Assistant RDC of Adjumani, appreciated the partners and the health workers for their recommendable effort in ensuring that the young people remain healthy and in school and urged the health workers to display the material in an open place for easy access by the adolescents.
“I am very grateful for this initiative in ensuring that adolescent girls and boys are kept safe. I want to say that under the SRHR project, our young people have really benefited in different ways so I want to appeal to the health workers to make sure these materials are displayed in an open space,” said Apio Ruth Baru.
The materials have totalled up to 152 million shillings targeting 71 health facilities in West Nile and Acholi sub-regions supported by the SAY project to empower the adolescents and youths in the districts of Adjumani, Obongi, Moyo, Lamwo and Kitgum.
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