Right to Play, partners boost adolescent health services

In a bid to improve adolescent access and utilization of health services, Right to Play in partnership with WaterAid and FHI360 under the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHRE) project have distributed sports materials to all the 43 health facilities across Adjumani district.

The intervention follows growing concerns over low revisit rates by adolescents to health facilities, largely attributed to the absence of adolescent-friendly corners that make health centres welcoming to young people.

Speaking during the handover, Uthman Bagonzi, the project officer working with Right to Play, emphasized the purpose of the materials, noting that the aim of the sports materials is to keep adolescents engaged when they visit health facilities.

Under the SHRE Project, Bagonzi says Right to Play in particular has provided the sports materials including; football, netballs, volleyballs and volleyball nets that will be given to all the health centre facilities across the district to support adolescents to easily reach or seek for services from the health centres as they engage in sports activities.

“The package of sports materials delivered includes footballs, netballs, volleyballs and volleyball nets to enhance peer-to-peer engagement among youth during health facility visits,” he said.

The District Assistant Health Officer in Charge of maternal health care, Dr. Lulu Henry Leku, welcomed the donation and said it has been a challenge to improve adolescent revisit rates at health facilities.

“These particular materials that we have received are going to be used in all the health facilities in the district. We have witnessed increased OPD attendance by adolescents accessing our services.

“Our biggest challenge has been to revisit many young people who don’t go back and one of the feedbacks we have got is that they do not have any service that can keep them at the facility,” he stressed.

Deputy RDC Emmanuel Okwere commended the effort and pledged proper monitoring by his office to ensure proper utilization.

“I want to commend the good work our partners are doing in the district in ensuring an improved standard of living, and I want to pledge that we, as government monitors in the district, are going to play our part in ensuring that this sports equipment we are receiving here today is properly utilized,” he said.

With the new approach, stakeholders are optimistic that revisit rates among adolescents will improve significantly, ensuring they receive continuous care and support in areas of sexual health and reproductive education rights.