Group advocate budgetary allocation for adolescent, health issues

By Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

A non-governmental organization under the umbrella of National Coalition for the Advancement of Adolescent and Youth Health (NCAAYH), has called on the federal government to consider separate budgetary allocations for adolescents and Youth Programs in the country.

The group lamented that health care for adolescents in many states of the federation have been neglected, urging both the federal and state governments to create a specific budget line for adolescent youth-friendly health services.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the National Coordinator of the group, Oyeyemi Pitan said, it was unfortunate that issues affecting adolescents in the country are begging for attention and must be brought to the fore.

Pitan who lamented that the health care for adolescents in many states of the federation have been neglected, added that this can only be addressed by creating a specific budget line for adolescent youth-friendly health services.

She said, ‘’The Federal Government of Nigeria to allocate adequate budget for Adolescent and Youth Programs (AYP) to promote access and utilization of services

‘’The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should also extend universal health coverage policies to include Adolescent Youth Friendly Health Services (AYFHS) to ensure affordable services for young people.

‘’The Federal Ministry of Health should also strengthen the National Adolescent Health Development Technical Working Group to promote active youth and adolescents and the National Adolescent Health Development Technical Working Group to promote active youth and adolescent participation in all its programs.

‘’The Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency should integrate Adolescent-Youth Friendly services into primary health care facilities as part of routine services’’.

Speaking further, Pitan in the briefing titled: ‘’The Future We Want to See; Adequate Health Budget and Programming for Adolescent and Youth Health in Nigeria’’ gave a detailed breakdown of the 2020 and 2021 health budget saying; the lean allocation was an indication of poorly plans for the future of its youth.

‘’Nigeria allocated a total of N407 billion and N584 billion for its health in the year2020 and 2021 respectively; and just 0.2% (equivalent to N819 million) and 0.07% (equivalent to N398.7 million) of these health allocation was made to cater for the health of adolescents and young person’s that account for sixty-three percent of the population, the future of Nigeria.

‘’The implication of this low budget allocation to young people is poor youth and adolescent health friendly services across the country; poor nutrition and inadequate access to contraceptive information and services among young people, which put them at risk of unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion, maternal morbidity and mortality.

‘’The implication on Education is massive, as adolescent female youth will drop out of school and diminish their chances of getting good jobs and productivity. Some are even forced into early marriage, the impact of allof these on their mental health can only be imagined.

‘’With these, the Future is at Risk! A nation that poorly plans for its future will grow to be an unhealthy and unproductive nation. This is why the NCAAYH is calling the Government to action’’.

The group further stressed the need to strengthen the National Adolescent and Youth Technical Working Group to include and promote active youth and adolescent participation in all its planning and programs.