ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH POLICY FOR UGANDA

BY Group 7

GROUP MEMBERS
MR. BYARUHANGA FRED MR. OYAT MARTIN MR. ONGUA JOSEPH MR. OKUONZI ALFRED MR. AKOL FRED MR. MUKIRANE SAMUEL MR. MUYOMBA.M. CHARLES RJIIM21/024 RJIIM21/082 RJIIM21/061 RJIIM21/059 RJIIM21/002 RJIIM21/013 RJ11M21/O56

PRESENTATION OUT LINE

Definition of some key terms Back ground Public health concern Adolescent health problems Goal Objectives Target beneficiaries Aim of the policy Strategies to implement the policy Challenges Monitoring and evaluation Conclusion

BACK GROUND
In the World, thousands of Young Women and men continue to die each year. Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa face many hurdles, like expectations of the traditional, often conservative, norms against the increasing exposure through the mass media, to modern ideals. An estimate of 6.9% of women and 2.2 % of men aged 1524 in the region were living with HIV at the end of 2004. Furthermore, about one in 10 young women have had a premarital birth by age 20. Uganda Government is committed to the improvement of the quality of life of adolescents as reflected in the development of Adolescent policy. (Uganda MOH, 2004).

Background cont.

In Uganda, evidence from the AIDS Information Centre shows that, among 1524-year-olds who were first-time testers, HIV seroprevalence was 3% among men and 10% among women in 2002

Adolescence is characterised by dramatic physical, psychological and social changes that are often not well understood by adults. They too even do not understand their problems This period is characterized by transition from childhood to adulthood, emotional, biological and psychological changes, putting adolescents at risk for early marriage, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion, STIs, HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse and exploitation. Adolescents also lack coping mechanisms to cope with these changes

Background cont.
Uganda has a predominantly young population with 47.3% being under 15 years. One in every four Ugandans (23.3%) is an adolescent; and one in every three (33.5%) is comprising of the young persons.

Definition of some key terms

Adolescents refers to those aged between 10 and 19 . Youth refers to those between 15 and 24 years Young people refer to both of the age groups.

Public health concern

Adolescents sexual and reproductive health is of national concern for Uganda because the country has a youthful age structure with a broad-based population pyramid characteristic of a developing country.

Adolescent health problems in Uganda

Unsafe abortion Care of the pregnant adolescent Early marriage Care of the infants STIs and HIV/AIDS Adolescents with disability Occupational health hazards Poor nutrition Street children House maids Prostitution

NOTE: Timely intervention during adolescent may avert all the negative consequences. Environment with minimum risks and access to health services.

Goal & Objectives

GOAL, The overall goal of this policy is to mainstream adolescent health concerns in the national development process in order to improve the quality of life, participation and standard of living of young people.

OBJECTIVES
1. To provide policy makers and other key actors in the-social and development fields, reference guidelines for addressing adolescent health concerns. 2. To create an enabling legal and social-cultural environment that promotes provision better health information and services for young people.

Objectives cont.
3. To protect and promote the rights of adolescent to health education, information and care. 4.To promote the involvement of adolescent in conceptualization, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of adolescent health programmes.

Objectives cont.
5. To advocate for increased resource commitment for the health of adolescent in conformity with their numbers, needs and requirements at all levels. conformity with their numbers, needs and requirements at all levels. 6. To improve the capacity of local institutions in research, monitoring and evaluation of adolescent health needs and programmes and to promote dissemination and utilisation of relevant information to create, awareness which influence behaviour amongst individuals, communities, providers and leaders concerning adolescent health.

Objectives cont.
7. To promote adequate development of responsible health related behaviour amongst adolescent including relations based on equity and mutual respect between genders and to sensitise them to such gender issues as they grow into adulthood. To provide legal and social protections of young people especially the girl child against harmful traditional practices and all forms of abuse including sexual abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence. 8. To train providers and reorient the health system at all levels to better focus and meet the special needs of adolescents. 9. To promote co-ordination and networking between different sectors and among Non Government Organisation/Youth Securing NGOs working in the field of adolescent health. To promote intervention built on capabilities and resources of youth.

Beneficiaries
The primary beneficiaries however, will be the youth, both rural and urban, Parents, School teachers, Service providers, Donors, Leaders at all levels, NGOs and CBOs, extension workers e.g. agriculture, community development officers.

Policies
A number of other national policies that have been beneficial for adolescent sexual and reproductive health include, National Youth Policy, National Policy on Young People and HIV/AIDS, Sexual and Reproductive Health Minimum Package, Affirmative Action Policy, a minimum age of sexual consent policy, National Population Policy, National Health Policy, the National Gender Policy, national reproductive health service delivery policy guideline, national AIDS control policy, and the Decentralization Policy

Challenges Some of the reasons inhibiting full implementation of some of these policies include: Lack of funds and inadequate mechanisms to popularize, distribute and disseminate the policies throughout the country; Lack of awareness of various stakeholders of their roles and responsibilities in implementing policies; Lack of stakeholders knowledge about how and whether to use some of the policies; and Bureaucratic delays.

Aim of the policy

To provide education, recreation, shelter and adequate income, protection by law and health services.

Strategies to implement the policy

.Advocacy IEC Training

Monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation shall be the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, exercised through the National Steering Committee for Adolescent Health .

CONCLUSION
The health concerns for younger children, adults and the elderly have hitherto taken precedence over the needs of adolescents. This policy is an effort to highlight adolescent health issues and bring them into the mainstream of health and other social services Young people are a critical national resource for today, and their health is a worthwhile investment for future growth and development. They have great potential to contribute to the process of decision-making and implementation of programmes for their own benefits as well as the development of society at large.

Conclusion
The understanding, adoption and implementation of this policy will contribute positively to the efforts to emancipate young people and integrate them in social development efforts. All persons and organizations with a stake in the lives and health of adolescents are urged to make special consideration of this policy and its ideals in their day-to-day work.

Conclusion cont.
We therefore recommend that; 1. The policy developed in 2004 is long ago and should be revisited or analyzed to see if it is still valid. This is because new things have come in as technology has advanced to corrupt of adolescents. 2. The adolescents be involved in the process and should be allowed to participate in the implementation for the purposes of ownership.

THANK YOU FOR LISTNING

References: Ministry of Health Uganda, 2004: Annual Health Sector Performance Report financial year 2003/2004 Oct. 2004. Ministry of Health Uganda, 2005: Health Sector Strategic plan II Draft 2005/06/03/09/2010 Ministry of health, 2004: national Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy for Uganda October 2004.