Youths in Nsanje District have bemoaned difficulties in accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to prevent unplanned pregnancies and contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
In his remarks during a workshop on SRH organised by Young Voices Organisation on Wednesday, Nsanje District Youth Network chairperson George Kalenga said youths in the district are facing challenges in accessing SRH services in health facilities.
He said: “Some areas do not have government facilities and we always rely on private clinics which charge for their services.
“This makes it difficult for youths to access services. It is difficult to access services such as implants, pills, injections, emergency pills and condoms.”
One of the participants, Elizabeth Mande from Pangeti Youth Club in Traditional Authority Tengani, also said they fail to access the services due to knowledge gaps on where to get them.
“We need more sensitation campaign to inform young people where to access reproductive health services,” she said.
But Nsanje district sexual and reproductive health rights officer Judith Mgogo dismissed the assertions that youths are not accessing SRH services, saying all 14 health facilities across the district provide the services to them.
“I agree that there is a high rate of teenage pregnancies and low uptake of family planning services by the youth. The meeting was important as it brought evidence-based ideas on how best to address the concerns. However, our hospitals provide SRH services,” she said.
Young Voices programmes manager Emmanuel Namponya said the meeting sought to formulate a movement that could advocate for SRH services in the district.
He said that they wanted partners and stakeholders to agree on how best to address the challenges.
The organisation and its partner Tiphedzane Community Support Organisation are implementing Promoting Youth Led Advocacy: A Call for Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Justice project in the district with support from AmplifyChange.
