Dhaka: Millions of teenagers in Bangladesh will be able to access health information and services through two online portals launched in the National Adolescent Health Conference.
He Teen Health website and mobile appthrown by him Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF and the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka, on Tuesday aim to raise awareness and ensure easy access to mental and physical health information and services for adolescents.
“Adolescents can be powerful agents of change, and we must do everything we can to empower them and address their age-specific needs. The launch of these platforms represents the government’s commitment to strengthen adolescent-friendly health services in Bangladesh” said Bangladeshi. minister of Health and Family Well-being Zahid Maleque.
Adolescents in Bangladesh, who make up more than 36 million of the country’s population, face multiple social barriers to accessing health information and services that are essential to grow and prosper, UNICEF said in a statement.
He said that low awareness and social stigma around mental health and mental illness, for example, are widespread among communities. And when it comes to sexual and reproductive health, it’s challenging for both girls and boys to search and find reliable information and vital services, she added.
“Adolescents need access to information, skills and services that enable them to reduce risk, but also to become capable adults who form a strong foundation for the next generation and global future,” he said. Sheldon YettUNICEF representative in Bangladesh.
“The app gives them critical health information that they may be too shy to ask their parents, peers or healthcare professionals.”
The Adolescent Health platforms include educational and gender-adapted guides and courses on sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, violence, and physical and mental health, as well as information on how and where to access adolescent-friendly health services, news agency Xinhua informed.
To promote widespread use of the platform, UNICEF said, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and Ministry of Education will collaborate with teen clubs, youth peer groups and teachers in all secondary schools across the country.
