KARACHI, July 14: To create awareness and highlight reproductive health issues of youths, who comprised about 62 per cent of the total country’s population, the public sector hospitals have joined hands with NGOs and private sector hospitals.

A meeting in this regard was held in the Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, where MS of the hospital, Dr Shabeen Naz informed that adolescent were youngsters between 10 and 19 years of age, while those up to the age of 24 years fall in the category of youths, which were the most ignored segment of society.

It was observed that main issues faced by the adolescents were early marriages of girls, many of whom were forced to marry the aged people; and lack of awareness among friends, parents, relatives or teachers with whom psychical and psychological matters were discussed and socio-cultural problems that led to stress and depression amongst this age group.

Stressing on the need to spread awareness among general pubic, Dr Shabeen said that awareness regarding reproductive health was often confused as education on sex, as a result of which, serious psychological and physical issues related with youths were left unattended.

She emphasised on better co-ordination and sharing of experiences among NGOs, CBUs, public sector and private hospitals for effective delivery of adolescent reproductive health programme.

Representatives of various NGOs talked about their activities in rural areas and said that the best way to spread awareness among adolescent and youths was through peers communicators.

The meeting decided to form a network based on public-private partnership for promoting awareness in educational institutes and involve the services of elected representatives in their out reach programmes.

Dr Shabeen ironically stated that there was little difference in level of knowledge regarding reproductive heath among students of public sector schools and well-reputed private schools.

Based upon the studies and her experiences at various counselling clinics held at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Dr Shabeen pointed out that any media campaign or knowledge obtained through internet, without appropriate guidance and counselling could lead people astray.

She lauded the co-operation extended by various NGOs to Sobhraj Hospital and called for developing a strategy for out reach awareness programmes starting from the schools in towns to district, provincial and national levels.

The participants observed that in absence of any official policy for development of adolescent and youths, they should adopt integrated approach to influence policy makers to initiate programmes for youths in the country.—PPI