As part of efforts towards impacting the healthy lifestyle on adolescents in the Ogun State, the Family Planning (FP) ambassadors selected across the three Senatorial Districts have been trained on advocacy interventions.
The training programme organised by the Family Health Initiative of Ogun state (FHIO), a Non-Governmental Organization Advocacy Working Group in the state, held at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, was geared to expose the FB ambassadors to process of committing relevant stakeholders on youth development for improved adolescent reproductive health care services.
In her opening remarks, the Chairperson of the group, Mrs. Kemi Balogun stated that genuine investment on health of the youths would allow a nation enhance on its socio-economic development and growth.
Balogun emphasized the need for human capital development, particularly on health related issues, saying that the group has lined up programmes that would broaden the horizons of the participants on the best approach to achieve their targeted goals.
She acknowledged the vantage position of Ogun state among the comity of states regarding the outstanding health indices, adding that public and private organizations support for adolescent health care would earn the state more recognition in the international world.
“Having in place this kind of training for our youths, suggest the passions that this NGO has for their well-being and areas which they can explore in achieving their relevant goals,” Balogun said
The Adolescent Desk Officer in the State Primary Health Care, Mrs. Blessing Olusomoka, highlighted the high impact intervention programmes by the State government on adolescent health, noted that the State in collaboration with development partners have established youth friendly centres as well as community based engagement services among others.
Olusomoka commended the organiser for the kind initiative, saying that the development would endanger modest healthy lifestyle among the youths in the state and the country at large.
The facilitator, Mrs. Busola Oyeyemi said advocacy and Social Behavioural Communication Change (SBCC) strategies should be adopted as means of engaging all and sundry in the process of creating good landscape for advance family planning and other reproductive health issues.
Oyeyemi who described advocacy as an evidence-based intervention planned towards achieving certain goals, adding that attention should be focused on the ‘message and messengers,’quick wince and the advance FP SMART objectives.
Speaking on behalf of the FP ambassadors, Master Afolagbade Olajide and Miss. Ikeoluwa Jayeola, applauded the efforts of FHIO for the programme, assuring that the knowledge acquired would be effectively applied to better the lives of other youths in the state.