By Wellington Sibale

Neno, March 12, Mana: Partners in Health (PIH) has scaled up youth corners in Neno in a bid to promote family planning and sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) services among the youth.  

PIH Primary Health Care Manager, Issac Mphande, made the remarks on Monday during a review meeting which saw PIH handing over recreation materials to the youth.

He said bringing the youth closer to the service makes it easier for them to access SRHR services.

“We provide different recreation materials such as games like snake and ladders to make the youth busy as they interact with peers and health care providers,” said Mphande.

The initiative is supporting Ministry of Health to address health needs of young people in the district by establishing youth corners to reduce teenage and unintended pregnancies among adolescents.

Mphande said youths are engaged in community dialogue and youth open days to reach out to more youths.

“To make the project sustainable, we have trained health care providers and youth leaders on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Youth Friendly Health Services,” he said.

Neno District Youth Officer, Ian Sukali, urged youths to patronize the corners and appealed to partners in the district to join the drive by providing recreation and sporting equipment across all the youth corners.

"PIH has supported with musical instruments. We need partners to come in and support the youth corners with sporting materials so that we should be able to attract young people to attend youth friendly services in large numbers," said Sukali. 

He added that youth corners create safe place for adolescents to access SRHR and comprehensive services on sexual gender based violence.

The project is being implemented under the ‘No woman or girl left behind' with funding from Global Affairs of Canada.

PIH has scaled up to eight youth corners in Neno at Dambe, Nsambe, Ligowe, Neno DHO, Magaleta, Zalewa, Chifunga and Matope.