UNFPA Rwanda with great pleasure donates materials to equip youth friendly corners which is one of our major partner in making sure that the Youth and Adolscents have access to ASRH services.
The youth and adolescents aged 10-24 years compose 1.8 billion of the world population. In Rwanda, the youth represent the biggest population.
The youth are faced with enormous challenges among them early pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, lack of access to ASRH services including FP, poverty, unemployment to mention but a few.
Like in other parts of the world, adolescents and young adults in Rwanda are considered a healthy segment of the population.
Being a particularly difficult period of puberty and adolescence where young people often try to investigate their sexuality by heterosexual relations, it exposes them to great health and sexuality challenges.
These challenges include the risk of HIV and AIDS, STIs, due to inadequate RH knowledge and limited understanding about access to RH services and practices. This predisposes adolescents and young adults to risky sexual behaviors in addition to alcohol and substance abuse.
UNFPA being a UN agency with a goal of making sure that there is “universal access to sexual and reproductive health, realize reproductive rights and reduce maternal mortality to accelerate progress on the ICPD agenda” there has been strong partnership with the government of Rwanda through its implementing partners like the MOH.
It is in this regard that we have distributed equipment/materials to youth friendly corners in Rusizi, Nyamasheke & Karongi worth about 40 million Rwandan francs to strengthen the youth understanding of ASRH issues and access SRH services easily.
UNFPA assistant Representative P&D Dr. Agnes Ntibanyurwa commends continued support and collaboration in providing better ASRH services to the youth and adolescents in this endeavor.
