Date: 2018-05-16

The Federal Government says it will partner with the Kwara state Government and other stakeholders to promote adolescents health issues in Nigeria.

Mrs Justina Young, the Representative of the Federal Ministry of Health, stated this on Tuesday during a meeting with stakeholders on adolescent Health and Development in Nigeria at the Ministry of Health in Ilorin, Kwara state capital.

Young said the aim of holding the stakeholder's meeting is to highlight and also strategise on the minimum package of services and standards for Adolescent Healthcare services in Nigeria.

According to her, Nigeria recognizes the pivotal importance of addressing the health and development issues of the adolescent populations to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from now until 2030.

She said that adolescent health has become a priority on the global agenda in addressing their rights and needs.

"The government and the necessary stakeholders will be mobilising its collective expertise and technical capacity to ensure adolescent health is addressed in this country.

"There is need to implement this Global Strategy, and we will continue to advocate for evidence-informed reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health programmes at all levels. Beyond health itself, investments are needed in other domains crucial for an adolescent to survive, thrive and transform his or her society," she said.

In her Address, the Executive Secretary, Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abimbola Folorunso noted that adolescents have been marginalised for a while in area of healthcare issues.

She explained that the outcome of the stakeholders meeting will go a long way to address this challenges faced by adolescents in the state and the nation in general.

Folorunso commended the Federal Ministry of Health for the initiatives on adolescents health, adding that it is an important mandate of the Primary Health Care programme.

She added that it can further help in providing effective and efficient healthcare delivery services to both young mother and child