Ondo trains medical personnel on youth-based care delivery 

Ondo state government has commenced the training of service providers who will drive its adolescent and youth friendly services in all health facilities in the state in other to achieve all round fulfillment of its Caring Heart Programmes in the sector.

The state Health Commissioner, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, flagged off the training in Akure with the participants drawn from primary and secondary health facilities, selected ministries, agencies and departments across the state.

He said the service providers would be trained on how to provide effective counselling services for youths to help them meet their challenges, especially with regards to sexual issues.  Adeyanju said the training, in collaboration with the federal ministry of health, would complement the existing adolescent programme of government in partnership with the Ford Foundation.

He stressed that Ondo is the first state to initiate this kind of youth-based training across all its tertiary facilities, which will further boost successes recorded on adolescent issues.  The Health Commissioner charged the service providers to get the best from the training, step it down in their various facilities as well as be friendly to the young people who come to them for counselling on the reproductive health issues.

“The youth stage is a very delicate one, ‎and there is a need to pay attention to the needs of young people, else, we would indirectly mortgage their future. In Ondo state, the youths are critical components of government’s Caring Heart agenda which is why we are leaving no stone unturned in helping them make right and informed choices,” Adeyanju said.

He said the ministry would also partner with other relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in driving it’s adolescent and youth friendly programme to a profound success.

Also speaking at the event, one of the facilitators from the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Laddi Bako- Aiyegbusi, commended Ondo state for its pro-activeness in ‎training its service providers on how to implement the national Adolescent Youth Friendly Services Aids, Job Kits, Queue Cards and Frequently Asked Questions.

She said the service providers would be trained on how to be friendly to young people so that they can open up on their challenges and get right counselling on their health issues.