Health ministry endeavours to establish more health friendly services to youth
|
Health ministry endeavours to establish more health friendly services to youth |
|
Contact: Kerwin Xavier
Thursday, June 16, 2011 – Saint Lucia's future is dependent upon both the health and development of its young people. The Ministry of Health in recognition of that fact recently organized a consultation under the theme “Improving Adolescent Health Through Youth Involvement, Community Participation and Inter-sectoral Collaboration”.
Principal Nursing Officer, Anne Henry, says at the workshop's main objective is to develop a strategy that would assist with implementing a comprehensive youth friendly service.
“Over the years whilst the Ministry of Health has a very strong maternal and child health service, we realize our service to the adolescence and youth has been weak; this was further confirmed by the evidence we have when it comes to the risky behaviours both mental, physical and emotional that's affecting our youth. So we endeavour to collaborate with other sectors to establish this youth friendly service.”
In addition to health education, the ministry currently provides school immunization programmes, various early detection and screening programmes including hearing and eye examinations to the adolescent population.
The new strategy is expected to include creation of a national directory of all organizations which presently provide services to the youth. In so doing it is hoped that there would be greater synergies which would facilitate a better referral system.
|
|
© 2011 Government Information Service. All rights reserved. Read our privacy guidelines.
|
