Awka
Anambra State Government over the weekend inaugurated the state technical working group for adolescent health and development.
The technical working group resident in the state Ministry of Health, is an inter-ministerial committee that identifies and implements programmes that are targeted towards addressing challenges facing adolescent health and development in the state.
Members of the group are drawn from the academic community, the media, ministries and agencies, civil society organisations, youth-led and advocacy groups.
Anambra Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike who performed the inauguration at the Jerome Udorji State Secretariat, Awka, emphasized that Governor Chukwuma Soludo prioritizes issues that affect young people such as the increasing rate of illicit substance abuse in the state and other sexual health issues affecting them.
Dr Obidike announced that the state government has intensified plans to build a modern rehabilitation centre for people with substance abuse disorder in the state.
“Through this committee, we want to see improved effort towards achieving globally-set goals on adolescents.
“We are particular about this age group because they constitute the critical component that make up our youth population and as a government, we cannot joke with that population.
“It is therefore critical that issues of illicit substance abuse and sexual offences are kept at the front burner,” he advised.
The commissioner urged the committee to take the task assigned them seriously, to ensure that the mandate is realize, in line with the health vision of the Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration in the state.
Explaining the importance of the technical working group, the team lead of the Adolescent and School Health Branch, Department of Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Joyce Kanu who facilitated the training of members of the group in the state, identified the challenges facing adolescents to include substance abuse, unsafe abortion, rape, cultism, and poor access to life planning information for adolescents and youths.
“There is need to put these issues on the front burner of policy making at all levels of government.
“We can no longer pretend these things are not happening because of the danger they pose to the future of the society.
“Members of this group should therefore be on top of their game in addressing these issues.
“That was why they were chosen from critical segments of the society, to bring their wealth of experience and expertise in the issues to bear in tackling the problems,” she informed.
Contributing, the Anambra State Coordinator, World Health Organization, Dr Abdulnasir Adamu pledged the continous technical and financial support of the organization in the areas of adolescent health and development.
The inauguration event was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary of Anambra State Ministry of Health, Mrs Carol Njaka and members of civil society organisations.
