NGO drills youths in reproductive health
Karonga District Hospital medical officer Innocent Mhango has commended Foundation for Community Support Services for training 32 youth community-based distribution agents in sexual and reproductive health services.
He said this on Saturday at the end of a six-day training of the youth at Maghemo Secondary School in Paramount Chief Kyungu.
“The training has come at the right time. The district has a population of over 397 000 people, but 30 teen girls out of every 100 become pregnant due to shortage of health personnel to raise awareness and provide sexual and reproductive health services,” said Mhango.
He asked the non-governmental organisation (NGO) to extend the training youths in other areas.
Karonga District Youth Network chairperson Atusaye Sibale assured the organisers that they will take family planning services to youths to reduce teen pregnancies.
Karonga district youth officer Lapken Liwago said the training has increased the number of people to timely provide family planning services to youths.
Foundation for Community Support Services project coordinator Robert Silungwe said they want the trained youth to engage adolescent girls in rural health facilities on sexual and reproductive health services.
“We complement government’s efforts in the provision of sexuial and reproductive health services,” he said.
Telethon State Broadcast is funding the NGO through Plan Malawi International in a Girl Not a Bride Project in the district.
