‘Overlooked’ adolescents get the spotlight
THE UNITED Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Philippines hosted recently the Global Network Meeting on Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP).
The meeting aimed to develop Unicef’s strategic direction for adolescents’ needs and development, with focus on the most disadvantaged and marginalized.
As part of its commitment to adolescent development, including health and education, Unicef has programs on:
Life skills, with focus on resilience, relationship, negotiation and increased tolerance; peace-building in conflict-affected areas
Safe space for adolescents to live and learn
Increased opportunity for adolescent participation and civic engagement
Legal and policy reform in the area of health service access (specifically human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, infection prevention, sexual and reproductive health and safe motherhood)
Strengthening multisector partnerships to advance the rights of adolescents through various youth programs
Specialists and delegates from Nepal, Zambia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Romania, Jordan and the Philippines attended the meeting.
Youth leaders from Zamboanga, Eastern Samar and Manila discussed health and empowerment programs for adolescents.
The Philippines has successfully pioneered innovative programming in emergencies.
Unicef Philippines representative Lotta Sylwander opened the conference, which was also attended by Unicef officials from the New York headquarters and East Asia regional office.
Sylwander said that while great progress had been made in saving young children, adolescents were not getting adequate attention.
She said investing on adolescents was “an investment in the future, with dividends of creating a generation properly equipped to become responsible citizens.”
The 2013 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey showed that at least 25 percent of unmarried young people were sexually active and 10 percent of adolescent girls ages 15 to 19 were already mothers or pregnant with their first child.
A 2015 Department of Health report found that more than a quarter of the 23,709 confirmed HIV infection cases in the country were in the 15 to 24 age group.
Aljon Operario and Rey Nicart, both from Borongan, Eastern Samar, said the meeting allowed young people like them to learn from global ex- perts and advocates for adolescent development and empowerment.
Key discussion points at the meeting were advancing the health and well-being of adolescents, providing formal and nonformal learning opportunities, ensuring safety and protection, increased space and opportunities for social and civic engagement, and generating evidence for effective programming.
Sylwander enjoined adolescents all over the country to remain active in policy dialogue and program activities. She said the adolescents’ generation would lead the Philippines into the future.
Adolescents account for almost 20 percent of the Philippine population.
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