By Ibrahim Adam
The United Nations Population Fund Youth Participatory Platform (UNFPA-YPP) has launched a toll-free line to address the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerian youths.
UNFPA-YPP said the pandemic caused havoc on health systems, which led to a global economic shutdown, adding that, during the crises, access to sexual reproductive health information and services may be interrupted, resulting in unintended pregnancies and other health consequences.
The Youth COVID-19 Support Programme was designed to provide a confidential call line and youth-friendly to provide young people with access to information, counselling, and referral support to enable them to understand and address the negative impact of the pandemic.
It will provide a direct response to the needs of young people, including those living with HIV, and contributed to further understanding their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“Our target audience was young people aged 10 – 24years, Youth Networks and Groups, Young people living with HIV, and young people living with a disability.
” The project ran for 3 months with the call line running for an additional 1-month post-project closure.
“Information and support provided through this program centered on COVID-19 and young people’s sexual and reproductive health, mental health, rights, safety, and general wellbeing.
“We engaged with and provided reliable information to 5,000 young people on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), COVID-19, and other related issues, including HIV through social and traditional media.
“Young people’s sexual reproductive health needs do not stop even in a pandemic, hence, it is important to design and implement innovative interventions taking into cognizance the new normal,” the body said.
The United Nations Population Fund Youth Participatory Platform (UNFPA-YPP) is a youth group focused on achieving the set goals of the United Nations Population Fund which is to ensure the sexual and reproductive health rights of young people are protected and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
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