Young volunteer affiliations will enhance the quality of adolescent-friendly services. In a strong hope to establish this slogan, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Family Planning under USAID the ‘Shukhi Jibon’ project with the technical support of Pathfinder International SERAC-Bangladesh organized 2nd Sub-National Advocacy Meetings in Dhaka & Mymensingh on 24th and 31st January 2023 respectively.
Sub-National (Mymensingh Divisional) Advocacy Meeting on Adolescent-Friendly Health Care & Services on 24th January 2023 was moderated by Assistant Director of SERAC-Bangladesh Mr. Md. Salim Miah with chair of Director, Divisional Family Planning Office, Mymensingh, Mr. Mohammad Abdul Awal chaired the event, Beside him the Deputy-Director of District Family Planning Office of Mymensingh, Mr. Md. Mahfujul Karim, Deputy Director of District Family Planning, Netrokona; Mr. Niranjan Bandhu Dam were the special guest. Also Regional Program Manager A.T.M Rafiqul Islam; Adolescent and Youth Coordinator; Shukhi Jibon; Mymensingh Region; Mr. Azizur Rahman from Pathfinder International were present. Upazila Family Planning Officers, Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officers, other service providers, 20 Volunteer Peer Leaders from 10 Adolescent friendly health service centers of Mymensingh & Netrokona & Program Manager Tasnia Ahmed, Associate Program Officer Mr. Md. Shafiullah Lemon & other staffs from SERAC-Bangladesh present in the meeting.
The Advocacy Meeting held in Dhaka on 31st January 2023 was moderated by Assistant Director of SERAC-Bangladesh Mr. Md. Salim Miah while the Dhaka Divisional Family Planning Director Md. Mahbub Alam chaired the event. Beside this Mr. SM Shaikat, Executive Director of SERAC-Bangladesh, Director of Mirpur Maternal & Child Health & Training center, Dr. Md. Shamsul Karim, Director, Mohammadpur Fertility Services Center Dr. Muniruzzaman Siddiqui, Mr. Mohammad Aman Ullah, Deputy Director of Family Planning, Dhaka, Mr. Swapon Kumar Sharma, Deputy Director of Family Planning, Narayanganj, Program Manager (A & RH), (MCH-S), Directorate General Of Family Planning, Dr. Md. Monjur Hossain, Adolescent & Youth Health Specialist Dr. Fatema Shabnam from Pathfinder International were the special Guest. Upazila Family Planning Officers, Medical Officers, Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officers, other service providers, 20 Volunteer Peer Leaders from 10 Adolescent friendly health service centers of Dhaka & Narayanganj & Assistant Director (Program) Mr. Md. Salim Miah, Program Officer Songita Sarker & other staffs from SERAC-Bangladesh present accordingly.
The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on the sustainability of youth volunteer integration in adolescent-friendly healthcare centers as part of family planning activities and the expansion of volunteer leaders’ activities and recommended the facilitation of quality services for adolescents through inclusive initiatives. The speakers and guests opined to increase this service across the country, the inclusion of age specific data in the DGFP MIS, DGHS collaboration, adolescent service quality improvement, service providers accountability and adoption of this adolescent engagement model and affirmed their consideration to evaluate the outcome of the integration of volunteers, and it’s scaling up based on positive feedback.