#National News

First Lady launches Access to Quality Comprehensive Health Education project

Sep 9, 2021, 2:18 PM | Article By: Isatou Ceesay-Bah

The First Lady of the Republic, Madam Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow on Tuesday presided over the launch of the Access to Quality Comprehensive Health Education project at a ceremony held at the Arch 22 in Banjul.

The launch attracted the minsters of Health, Youths and Sports as well as senior government officials and partners of Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE).

Held on the theme- ‘Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive health issues’, the research project is being implemented with the funding of International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

The research project is targeting In-and-Out of school adolescents across the country.

Delivering her statement, Madam Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow reminded that young people usually face several challenges as they grow up, saying these challenges have increased dramatically as a result of the present impressive advances of sciences.

“The internet and mobile phones for example has indeed reduced the whole world into global village, social media could be used positively but also negatively.” she stated.

She, however, advised parents, teachers and religious leaders to put hands on deck and guide their children properly.

In her welcoming remarks, Phebian Ina Grant-Sagnia, principal investigator of the research project, explained that the overall aim is geared towards strengthening access to quality Comprehensive Health Education for in and out-of-school adolescents.

“School and Community-based Comprehensive Health Education play a vital role in promoting the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents, presently and in their future." she added.

She observed that there are policy frameworks regarding Comprehensive Health Education in the country, adding that there is also limited evidence of implementation and how efforts related to health education are coordinated across various partners.

Also speaking, Jerreh Sanyang, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, who delivered a statement on behalf of the minister, stressed that the issue of reproductive health education is a concern for all and that the issue will continue to be a relevant discussion in many spheres.

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