Many adolescents make the transition to adulthood in good health, yet others might face injuries resulting from an accident or violence; experience mental health or substance abuse conditions; go through early childbearing which includes increased risks for newborns and young mothers; or fall ill with endemic diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria.
Addressing adolescents’ health needs, particularly among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, is key to promoting a healthy development among adolescents and youths. In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has strived to expand options for young people whilst prioritizing adolescent rights in health emergencies.
In Cox’s Bazar, home to nearly 325 000 Rohingya adolescents, a range of individuals and institutions play an important role in promoting adolescents’ health and well-being. WHO is coordinating with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), a Sexual Reproductive Health working group and an Adolescent Task Force to support partners providing adolescent-friendly services in their health facilties. The impact goes far beyond sexual and reproductive health and rights outcomes.
WHO is striving to expand health options for the nearly 325 000 Rohingya adolescents in Cox’s Bazar by offering capacity building to partners providing adolescent-friendly services. WHO Bangladesh/Tatiana Almeida
“A few days ago a 17-year-old Rohingya girl came to see me. She sounded very determined in learning about contraception options and I gave her all the information pointing out that it was her body and as such her choice whether to use contraceptives which will help prevent sexually transmitted diseases and delay pregnancy”, says Umme Hani, a Midwife working at Partners in Health and Development (PHD) primary health center at Camp 10, in Ukhiya.
“I could see, however, that she wasn’t doing well and started making friendly questions just as I learned at the WHO training. When she finally opened up, she told me in tears that her family had arranged her marriage. As a smart young woman, she had decided to delay pregnancy until she was sure that her husband would be a good father. I ensured her that she could visit me anytime she needed a friend”, concludes Umme Hani.
At the heart of any health care system, health care workers such as Midwife Umme Hani are pivotal to address the specific needs of adolescents throught equitable, appropriate, effective and accessible health care services.
In the Rohingya Refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, when adolescents from Camp 10 have health-related concerns they can talk to Umme Hani, a Midwife trained by WHO to provide adolescent-friendly services. WHO Bangladesh/Tatiana Almeida
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The Partners in Health and Development (PHD) primary health center facility at Camp 10, in Ukhiya, reaches a population of over 16 000 Rohingya refugees seeing between 100 to 250 patients a day. Among these, 15 to 20% are adolescents. WHO Bangladesh/Tatiana Almeida
To date, the Training on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) has reached 50 health care workers to strenghthen adolescent-friendly services at 50 health care facilities in Cox’s Bazar. More batches are planned to reach a total of 120 health care professionals from different partner organizations. WHO National Consultant on Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent Health, Dr Tasnova Sadneen, is facilitating the training together with ASRHR Master Trainers from UNFPA, IOM, IRC, SCI and PHD.
“Frontline health care workers with adequate training and knowledge can play an important role in promoting the health and health seeking behaviours among adolescents. We can’t deny that Rohingya adolescents and youths - a significant portion of the refugee population in Cox’s Bazar - need skilled health workforce to respond to their health needs. One of the components of this training is to guide health care workers on how to build a relationship of trust, understanding and compassion with adolescent patients”, explains Dr Tasnova Sadneen.
Cox’s Bazar Civil Surgeon, Dr Mahbubur Rahman, WHO Head of Sub-Office, Dr Kai von Harbou, and Dr Tasnova Sadneen at the Training on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) held in Cox’s Bazar in November 2020. ISCG/Syed Tafhim
“Effective interventions for improving adolescent health and development are vital in Cox’s Bazar and I am very happy to see many health care workers here today willing to learn more about adolescent-friendly health approaches. I believe that after your participation in the ASRH training you will feel more confident in providing health care services to adolescents and I wish you much success while doing so”, says Cox’s Bazar Civil Surgeon, Dr Mahbubur Rahman, at the opening ceremony.
“Services geared for adolescents go far beyond sexual and reproductive health as they address the full range of adolescents’ health and development needs. With that in mind, and with the guidance of the Civil Surgeon, we are creating training opportunities to expand the knowledge on adolescent health and development and their implications in clinical practice. I believe this is going to advance and strenghten universal health coverage for both Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar”, explains WHO Head of Sub-Office, Dr Kai von Harbou.
Making health services adolescent friendly sets out the public health rationale for making it easier for adolescents to obtain the health services that they need to protect and improve their health and wellbeing, including sexual and reproductive health services.
WHO and partners are ensuring the continued prioritization of sexual and reproductive health and rights throughout COVID-19 response in humanitarian settings, and to bring a gender lens to the response.