Integration of youth volunteers can ensure adolescent-friendly health service
Young volunteer affiliations would enhance the quality of adolescent-friendly services at the healthcare centres, experts told a programme.
A sub-national (Dhaka divisional) advocacy meeting was organised at the Mirpur MCHTI on Tuesday by the SERAC-Bangladesh in collaboration with the Directorate General of Family Planning under the 'Shukhi Jibon' project of USAID with the technical support of Pathfinder International.
The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on the sustainability of youth volunteer integration in adolescent-friendly healthcare centers as part of family planning activities and the expansion of volunteer leaders' actions.
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Recommendations were made to facilitate the quality services for adolescents through inclusive initiatives.
Health experts and rights activists stressed increasing the service across the country, the inclusion of age-specific data in the DGFP MIS, DGHS collaboration, adolescent service quality improvement, service providers accountability and adoption of this adolescent engagement model.
They also committed to considering evaluation of the outcome of the integration of volunteers, and it's scaling up based on positive feedback.
SM Shaikat, executive director of SERAC-Bangladesh, emphasised on story documentation and recommendations from these meetings which will be shared on the national and international platform in front of policymakers to strengthen quality services in adolescent-friendly services.
Mahbub Alam, director, Divisional Family Planning Office, Dhaka, emphasised on capacity building training and proper guidance on giving services to ensure the service quality and information.
Dr Monjur Hossain, program manager (A&RH), (MCH-S), DGFP said that an action plan prepared for ensuring quality services is awaiting approval.
Dr Muniruzzaman Siddiqui, director, Mohammadpur Fertility Services Center said that clinical training and guidance on proper service giving is needed for VPLs. He also recommended continuing this Volunteer peer leader model elaborately.
