A national level advocacy meeting on adolescent-friendly healthcare services was held at Dhaka on April 25, by SERAC-Bangladesh with the support from the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), and Pathfinder International under the USAID Shukhi Jibon project.
The meeting was moderated by the Executive Director of SERAC-Bangladesh SM Shaikat with the Line Director (MCRAH) of DGFP Md. Mahmudur Rahman in the chair, and the Director General (Grade-1) of the DGFP Shahan Ara Banu, NDC as the chief guest. Beside them Joint Secretary of Health, Education & Family Welfare; Md. Abdus Salam Khan, Line Director of Clinical Contraception Services Delivery Program Unit, Dr. Nurun Nahar Begum, CSO Focal Point, FP2030, Dr. Abu Jamil Faisal, Director, Divisional Family Planning Office, Dhaka, Md. Mahbub Alam, Divisional Family Planning Office, Mymensingh, Med Abdul Awal, Deputy Director Dhaka District Family Planning office, Mohammad Aman Ullah, Deputy Director of Narayanganj District Family Planning Office Md. Anwar Hossain, Deputy Director of Mymensingh District Family Planning Office Meherunnesa Siddiqui, Deputy Director of Netrokona District Family Planning Office Mr. Anisur Rahman, Director, Mohammadpur Fertility Services Center Dr. Muniruzzaman Siddiqui, Director, Mirpur Maternal & Child Health Services & Training Center, Dr. Md. Shamsul Karim, Assistant Director (Coordination) of Directorate General of Family Planning (MCH) Md. Matiur Rahman, Program Manager (A & RH), (MCH-S), Directorate General Of Family Planning, Dr. Md. Monjur Hossain, and Program Manager of Field Services Delivery Unit, Dr. Pijush Chandra Sutradhar were also present on the occasion. There also Adolescent & Youth Specialist, Dr. Fatema Shabnam & Adolescent Behavior Change Manager, Sohrab Hussain from Pathfinder International and 40 Volunteer Peer Leaders from 20 Adolescent friendly health service centers of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Mymensingh & Netrokona, Assistant Director of SERAC-Bangladesh, Mr. Md. Salim Miah, Program Manager Tasnia Ahmed, Associate Program Officer Shafiullah Lemon, Program Associate Songita Sarkar, SBCC Officers Khadija Kalam, Monwar Hossain and Nazmul Hasan also joined in the meeting.
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, and affirmed their consideration to evaluate the outcome of the integration of volunteers, and its scaling up based on positive feedback.