ADOLESCENTS have been advised to speak out about different matters affecting them and avoid risky behaviours that could lead to contracting HIV/AIDS.
This was said in Dodoma on Monday at a meeting which brought together directors from different ministries led by the Ministry of Community development, Gender, Women, and Special groups.
The participants were receiving the report for coordination of implementation of the National Agenda for Investing in Health and Development for Adolescents.
Speaking at the meeting, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Ms Everline Makalla, said the national agenda is to invest in the health and development of adolescents.
Ms Makalla said the health agenda for adolescents aims to prevent HIV/AIDS infections, eradication of early pregnancies, prevent physical, sexual and psychological violence, improve nutrition, education for both girls and boys and creating ability to tap economic opportunities that are available in the country.
“The national agenda is to invest in adolescent health so as to attain provision of friendly health care to adolescents and address challenges facing adolescent development in the country,” she added.
Makalla added: “the meeting is essential to give the direction of implementation of the national agenda of investing in health that will benefit adolescents so as to have clear information from them that will help to reach to the Permanent Secretaries, sectoral ministries and finally to the ministers.”
On behalf of the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the ministry’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Lyabwene Mutahaba said the report was very important.
Coordinator of the implementation of the National Agenda for Investing in Health and Development for Adolescents, Daniel Maro, said the aim of the meeting was to give an update over the implementation in order to build common understanding among the directors from different ministries so that they could inform Permanent Secretaries of their respective ministries.