Geneva, 24 May 2017 (PAHO/WHO) -Youth activists from Africa and Asia joined with the Uruguayan Minister of Public Health and several other panelists at a World Health Assembly side event today, to call for national health policies and services that are accountable and responsive to the health rights and needs of adolescents.
Juliet Otoke, 17, from northern Uganda, spoke about how she and other youth played an instrumental role in improving the quality and security of health care services in a deeply impoverished and violence-plagued district of the country
"When youth speak out, our views should be considered," said Otoke. "We requested authorities to have more staff for health facilities, make them safer, and make essential medicines available. We were happy when they listened to us and acted on our request."
Dr. Jorge Basso, the Minister of Public Health of Uruguay, said that adolescents were extensively considered and consulted in a lengthy process of national health reforms that began 10 years ago.
"At an early stage of this reform process, a specific rights and equity-based health program was established for adolescents," Basso said. "Today, throughout Uruguay, there are adolescent health centers and trained adolescent health promoters. And two years ago, a youth forum was established on a wide range of health, violence and discrimination issues."
Maruyam Ahmad, 17, from Nigeria, recounted her experience of engaging more than 5.000 children in successfully advocating for "youth-friendly" health services.
"We youth have a lot to offer and we want to be involved in government decision-making - at least to be asked what we think," Ahmad said. "We are not only the future - we are also part of today."