Call for Actions to Young SRHR Professionals!

Guest post by: Joemer Maravilla, IAAH Young Professionals Network (YPN)

Joemer Maravilla, YPN Community Engagement Committee Member

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted struggling health systems in the provision of contraceptive education and services for young people. The sudden shifts in the social environments brought by the pandemic has placed our young people at further disadvantage. If not addressed, we can expect adverse outcomes such as early pregnancy and parenthood, unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV infections, which may have long term effects both at individual and societal levels.

The International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) together with FP2020 outlined in a recent policy statement key strategies and action points to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in midst of the current pandemic. These include:

• Engagement of young people in the ‘design, development, implementation, and evaluation’ of COVID-19 related SRHR programs
• Activities to sustain access to quality SRHR information, products, and services
• Involvement of parents and other community stakeholders to support young people
• Evidence-informed policies and programs using quality research findings

What can you do as a young professional?
Young professionals, like us, have an important role to ensure that young people – especially those who are disadvantaged – are receiving information and services during this challenging times.

• Social media is a powerful platform not only for advocacy activities but also in disseminating information on SRHR. With the increasing access to social media among young people, we will be able to reach the majority who are active in the digital space.

• Advocacy activities are essential to encourage governments, at local and national levels, to invest in SRHR. Leveraging on learnings and experiences from previous catastrophic events can further highlight the urgency to include SRHR in their current agenda.

• Job-aids and tools have already been developed by international and local organisations for service providers. Use of these resources ensures that young people are provided with the best possible care despite the restrictions brought by the pandemic.

• Adaptation of service delivery innovations such as telemedicine expands young people’s ability to access services including counselling services, contraceptive supplies, and screening services. While face-to-face clinic visits remains ideal, implementing the telemedicine approach will effectively reach those affected by community lockdowns and those who are continuously experiencing access difficulties.

• Researchers are encouraged to not only explore impacts of the pandemic on adolescent SRHR but also to develop practical interventions that address key barriers in specific socio-cultural and political contexts.

Share your unique SRHR initiative/program/intervention with us using the Member’s Spotlight form. We are keen to hear your successes and share your learnings to benefit the broader IAAH YPN community.

To join the IAAH Young Professionals Network (YPN) click here to visit their website and fill out a membership form.

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