The Novel Association for Youth Advocacy (NAYA) an NGO, has called on the Kuje Area Council to create a separate budgetary allocation for Adolescent Youth Friendly Initiatives in FCT.
Mrs Rosemary Adaji, the National Coordinator of the group made the call on Monday in Kuje, during a visit to Dr Emmanuel Okpetu, Director for Health, Primary Healthcare Kuje Area Council in Abuja.
Adaji said there was need to establish and ensure evidence-based practices for adolescent and youth-friendly health services to be integrated into existing routine services in primary health care facilities.
According to her, there is need to promote adequate awareness and utilisation among young people of available adolescent youth-friendly health services in Primary Health Care Centres in FCT.
“Adolescents constitute 22 per cent of Nigeria’s population categorised under the mental, social and behavioral but its health needs are neglected.
“Many NGOs have supported issues around adolescent health but the outcome has continued to yield poor results due to paucity of funds.
“The health of adolescents was missing at the middle and we, therefore, call on policymakers to pay close attention to adolescent health for a better society.
“The adolescents need to have a separate budget line in the Federal Ministry of Health in all the sub-nationals and Local Government Areas,” she said.
She further urged the FCT administration to promote awareness and utilisation among young people of available adolescent youth-friendly health services in Primary Health Centers.(NAN)
