Skip to main content

Towards well-being





What is it that compromises an adolescent’s health? Is it poverty, no access to healthcare or the right intervention methods? NGOs and facilitators working with young people all over the country say it’s a combination of all these factors. Youth in the 10-24 age group, constitute a large percentage of the population. Healthier than the other age groups, they are also more vulnerable to health risks, physical and mental, and also transitional problems as they grow towards adulthood in terms of education, work and expanding relations. At a recent Workshop for South Asian Journalists on Reproductive and Child Health: Issues and Perspectives, organised by the Population Foundation of India (PFI) and USAID, an overview of the various NGOs working in the field to ensure better adolescent health awareness revealed some interesting viewpoints of working with and for the young . 
   
Using resources 
 
Programmes designed for adolescent betterment must involve the community as well. The Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust with PFI had field trainers, known as the “Pehal Mitra”, to counsel young people in Uttaranchal on health ideas but integrated this with other important development issues like education, self development and employment. The programme innovated to involve communities and built crucial links with existing medical care facilitators, schools and the Panchayati Raj institutions. Using puppet shows, street plays and the radio made it reach a larger number of youth and people. The radio programmes were followed with discussions in the community by the field trainers.


Addressing young people’s reproductive and sexual rights involves the mapping of existing resources and constituting an effective team to address the issues in the field. CHETNA, the centre for health education, training and nutrition awareness partnered with the largest youth group in the country the Nehru Yuva Kendra, to address reproductive health issues through its existing network. Reaching out to children in the age group of 10 to 19 years, the focus group discussions held at the initial stages with the target group helped identify key areas and created a broader understanding of their needs for more focussed programmes. 

Local flavour 
 
Communication strategies have to be local in scope. The team from CHETNA that reviewed existing literature on reproductive rights realised that most couldn’t be used because they were in English. Nor was the material participatory in nature. The resource kit they designed was unique because there was no gender differentiation and the same sets were meant for boys and girls. 

There are a range of programmes in the country addressing youth health related issues. What sets apart each one of them is the areas and methods of intervention. Schools here can play an important role. Health experts suggest setting aside time within the academic calendar for health education. Teachers must be trained to handle such sessions. Ultimately, a nationwide sharing of positive lessons learnt and participation methods that worked will ensure a healthier adolescent community.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Appetite Loss in Toddlers, Reasons and Solutions

Appetite Loss in Toddlers Feeding a toddler can be a challenge. Seemingly overnight, your good little eater turns into Mr. Picky. As you watch him push away foods that used to be favorites, turn up his nose at anything green and absolutely refuse to try anything new, you wonder if he can really survive on what seems like a handful of food each day. Most of the time, a decrease in appetite in toddlerhood is normal, but if your child is pale, lethargic or tired all the time, sees his doctor. Why Appetite Drops A toddler doesn't need to eat as much or as often as he did as an infant. His appetite drops because his growth rate slows. If he kept up the growth rate of the first year, when he tripled his weight and doubled his height, he'd be around 60 pounds and 5 feet tall at age 2. Since he'll grow just 3 inches and gain 3 to 5 pounds between the ages of 1 and 2, his appetite will decrease. To achieve this gain, he needs to consume between 1,000 to 1,400 calori...
2 comments
Read more

Hemophilia

Hemophilia Introduction: Hemophilia is an inherited disease in which your blood does not clot. People with hemophilia lack or have low levels of one of two blood-clotting substances, known as factor VIII and factor IX. As a result, they may bleed for a long time after an injury. They may also experience internal bleeding, especially in the joints. There are two types of hemophilia -- type A and type B. Hemophilia is the most common inherited bleeding disorder. About 17,000 people in the U.S. have the condition. The blood of someone with hemophilia will not clot normally. Bleeding may occur spontaneously or following   injury . Hemophiliaoccurs in 2 forms,  hemophilia A  and B. In both forms, a  gene  is defective. The defective gene interferes with the ability of the body to produce the clotting factors that allow for normal clotting. The result is a tendency for  abnormal , excessive bleeding. ·  Hemophilia A occurs in 1 in 10,000 people....
2 comments
Read more

Things Not To Say To Your Child

Things Not To Say To Your Child Parenting is no easy job. And the most important — yet difficult part of parenting is learning to talk to your child. Children take everything literally and the way you talk to them goes a long way in building their personality. As a parent, however, while in the middle of juggling tasks, you might end up reacting to your child, at times even speaking out unintentional words. Unfortunately, a child’s mind is not developed enough to understand that these were unintentional and as a result,  it cripples their little minds. And from all the experiences and research, one thing is clear — the only way we can avoid this from happening is, by carefully monitoring what we speak to and in front of our children. Which is easier said than done. But with a little bit of effort and strong will, we can make a better of us and minimize the mishaps. So here are the things that you should definitely refrain from saying to your child . 1. ‘Yo...
Post a Comment
Read more