By Foday Moriba Conteh
Health Alert ,a local civil society development advocacy and accountability programming organization in the country, in collaboration with RMNCHAH+H (TAAC) through the Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) USAID programme has on Thursday 23rd February 2023 concluded a one-day regional media, CSOs and Youths Advocacy Roundtable Conference on Teenage Pregnancy, SRH/ Family Planning District Priorities. The roundtable conference was held at the Campaign for Good Governance Office at Waterloo.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Executive Director of Health Alert, Victor Lansana Koroma, disclosed that the one-day regional media, CSOs and Youths Advocacy Roundtable Conference on Teenage Pregnancy, SRH/ Family Planning District Priorities is geared towards creating an opportunity for the representatives from the 3 districts that Health Alert is operating in through the Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) USAID to provide their report to the media and CSOs on the priorities which they agreed on during their engagement with young people in February 2022, adding that during the engagement in February the issues of Teenage Pregnancy and Early Marriage were very topical at the engagement of which these districts representative committed themselves through pledge signing as part of their committment towards the reduction of Teenage Pregnancy and Early Marriage in their various districts.
He said that after listening to the reports from the various districts, Health Alert and partners commended them for their work towards the reduction of Teenage Pregnancy and Early Marriage in their various districts, stating that they have made some progress and that they also underscore the challenges faced in their districts of which they said that they are fighting to reduce those challenges.
Victor Lansana Koroma said that as an organization having heard from them, they will now make use of such messages in order to see how they can mount robust advocacy towards addressing those issues highlighted.
Making his presentation, the Program Manager of Health Alert, Darlton John said that Health Alert is a local civil society organization specialised in heath development advocacy and accountability programming in the country.
He stated that the organization’s overall goal is to promote the interest and rights of vulnerable and marginalized citizens, with a special focus on women, youth, adolescents and children at both national and sub-national level towards increased access to right-based quality and affordable health care services.
In her address, the Matron for Pujehun District Hospital who also doubles as the Representative for the District, Fatmata M. Kamara said that the issue of Teenage Pregnancy is really a challenge and is in the increase in the district.
She said that the issue of compromise remains to be a challenge in the fight against Teenage Pregnancy in the district, adding that they have been embarking on advocacy in order to discourage the issue of compromise when it comes to sexual and gender based violence issues.
Fatmata M. Kamara said that due to their robust advocacy on the subject matter they have been able to convince residents and stakeholders within the district to report cases of such in the district.
The District Medical Officer, Western Area Rural District, Sylvia Fasuluku, commended Health Alert and partners for their strides towards the reduction of Teenage Pregnancy in the country.
Underscoring what they have achieved as a district she said that the district has been able to set up a secretariat desk in order to reduce Teenage Pregnancy within the district.
Sylvia Fasuluku said that they have been also been able to reactivate their youth friendly Centres in most of their Centres which has given young people the access to family planning information and other health related issues.
She said that advocacy continue to be the center pillar of their approach towards the reduction of Teenage Pregnancy in the Western Area Rural District.
Other representatives from other districts also made statements and held plenary discussions which was followed by comments, questions by the media, CSOs and the youths present.
