The National Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health Strategy, spanning 2007-2015, is intended to enhance reproductive health and wellbeing among the young people in Ethiopia aged 10-24.
This age group constitutes 30 percent of Ethiopia's estimated 78 million population.As part of its main goals, the programme seeks to increase awareness and knowledge about reproductive health issues, which would lead to healthy attitudes and practices.
It will also strengthen multi-sectoral partnerships and create an enabling environment at all levels, with line ministries, research institutions, professional organizations and local communities regarding the reproductive health needs of adolescents and youth.
Regretting that many children in the past entered adulthood unprepared, Dr. Tesfanesh Belay, head of the Family Health Department, said Ethiopia's young people were a group of great promise and vulnerability."Past failures to invest sufficiently in young people are seen, tragically, in the HIV epidemic, which is increasingly them, especially females.
"Ethiopia cannot attain the Millennium Development Goals, nor fulfil the aspirations enshrined in our national constitution without protecting the health and rights of our youngest citizens," she said.
Through health extension services, Tesfanesh explained that local communities would be encouraged to stop harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation.Also, harmful modern practices such as promotion of violence and sexual commercialisation through the media would be discouraged, she added. 10 April 2007 - PANA