Intergrated responses are key to improve the outcomes on youth SRHR

Rahul Kumar Dwivedi, CNS Correspondent, India
To improve coordination and responses on youths Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), a state level inter-sectoral coordination meet is convened today under the auspices of Citizen News Service (CNS) in collaboration with Youth Champion Initiative (YCI) and FPA India. Around 50 representatives from government agencies (National Heath Mission, SIFPSA, Health & Family Welfare, Education) and other sectors such as (Youth, Women, PLHIV, Medical Professionals, NGOs, and Media), met to discuss integrated responses for ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights for the young people. 

WHO Director-General’s Awardee and 2012 National President of Association of Surgeons of India Professor (Dr) Rama Kant moderated the panel discussion. Dr Swapna Das, General Manager (Adolescent and Health) at NHM UP Government, Dr Anil Mishra, General Manager (Training) NHM; Dr Aruna Narain, Senior Advisor, RMNCH+A, State Innovations in Family Planning Services Project (SIFPSA); Dr Savita Chauhan, Deputy General Manager, Information Education and Communication (IEC), SIFPSA;  Dr O P Verma, Joint Director, Health and Family Welfare; Dr PK Khattri, Head of Department of Psychology, National PG College; Kamal Rizavi, Branch Manager of FPA India in Lucknow; and Shri Krishna, General Secretory, UPNP+ (UP Network of People Living with HIV) were among the key panellists.

“At times, inter-sectoral coordination becomes critically important and definitive for achieving optimal programme outcomes in time-bound manner. Government of India has promised with other governments to achieve Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs by 2030 and health and gender justice are part of these targets. We need to unite forces where possible to progress towards these goals in a time-bound manner so that we are able to deliver on these promises” emphasised Professor (Dr) Rama Kant at the meet. 

Providing access to health, including sexual and reproductive health information, education, commodities and services; connecting all young people to livelihood and employment programmes; upholding the rights of young people, specifically girls and marginalized groups, to grow up healthy and safe; and encouraging young people to participate fully in development plans are some of the key anticipated outcomes for sustainable development which government has already promised but progress needs to be scaled up optimally.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights are integrally related to human rights and well-being, which are key to social and economic development. The meet highlighted upon the urgency of breaking the silo of health, and discussed the way forward for ensuring youths accessibility to SRH information, education, services and commodities.

Rahul Kumar Dwivedi, Citizen News Service - CNS 
Friday, 23 December 2016