300,000 youths trained on reproductive health

The Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA) has achieved the target of training 300,000 youth regarding Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse, sexual violence and gender-based violence in five districts of the country.
About 3.3 million unemployed human capital comprises mostly the young populace, 50 percent children are unable to complete their primary education and 19 percent total maternal deaths are occurred in the age of 15-19 that can be prevented through reproductive health awareness.
This was stated by UNFPA Technical Advisor Nadir Gul on the concluding ceremony of a national conference titled "The MDGs and Youth Empowerment Building on RHIYA's Achievements" here on Tuesday.
The conference was also attended by Dr France Donnay, UNFPA Country Representative and Dr Rukhshanda, Executive Director, SACHET. Dr Rukhshanda said about 62 percent of the population of Pakistan is below the age of 25 years, 60 percent girls are illiterates and the country's socio-economic indicators are among the worst in the region while gender discrimination prevails at all stages of life cycles, she said.
Three years project was started by RHIYA in collaboration with UNFPA and SACHET in the five districts of Chakwal, Kohat, Muzaffarabad, Jacobabad and Killa Saifullah on adolescent reproductive health, she said.
She said RHIYA organised some 1400 events at federal, district and community levels and over 9000 people including service providers were imparted training. RHIYA reached one million people through advocacy, communication, BCC and created enabling environment for all, she said.
Dr France Donnay said pervasive poverty, illiteracy, unemployment in extended joint family system overburdens development opportunities and complicates further the lives of the young people compelling them to shoulder the burden of large size poor families both socially as well as economically in the absence of state's social security system.
He said due to lack of livelihood, sometimes the young people join gangs or even offer services to private forces and militant groups for violence, unlawful or terrorist acts that mostly results in violence, deteriorated security conditions and increased crime. Awareness regarding adolescents reproductive health, fertility and family planning is low with a reported unmet need of 22 percent in Pakistan, he said.
Dr France Donnay said education is vital while addressing the reproductive health of adolescents and youth and parents training is necessary to address ARH issues and it has helped in addressing issue of communication gap between parents and children.