By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Ministry of Health has taken it campaign on gender-based violence, rights, sexual and reproductive health to students of secondary schools in the state.
The ministry said it was important to sensitize the students now that they are young before they start exploring.
Mrs Tammy Briggs, Desk Officer, Adolescent Health and Development, Department of Medical Services of the ministry while addressing students at Government Model Girls Secondary School, Rumueme, said the essence of the sensitization is also to help them develop health-seeking behavior.
”We’re here to sensitize them on adolescent health and development, and this encompasses sexual and reproductive health and rights, menstrual hygiene, gender-based violence, nutrition. It also encompasses general hygiene, growth and development.
“We are trying to make them understand that they should have health-seeking behavior, ” she said.
”We know that adolescents are young people and they have unique needs and this needs attention. And of course, because at this age they explore a lot, and they tend to go towards their peers and then take advice from their peers, and most times the information they get are limited, so that is why we’re dedicated to ensuring that they get the accurate information as regards their health, ” she added.
Mrs Briggs said the sensitization also includes emotional health, pregnancy prevention, menstrual hygiene, tuberculosis screening amongst others.
She explained that the sensitization is billed to take place in schools in four Local Government Areas of the state such as Eleme, Port Harcourt, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni and Obio/Akpor.
Some beneficiary students of the sensitization appreciated the ministry for coming to talk to them on their health. They promised to spread the lessons learnt from the various lectures to their friends and peers.
Miss Queen Aniah, a student in SS3 said: “I will tell people in my environment, my neighbours, people I know mostly because this is information that should not be wasted and people need to hear because this can change someone’s life and it is very, very educative and I also got a mathematical set from this program and I want to thank the Ministry of Health”.
She also said the information gathered would help her to make informed decisions about her health.
” I now know the consequences of every choice I make. Therefore, I will make a better choice from the knowledge I have acquired today, ” she added.
