Mass awareness can play role to reduce child marriage
Staff Reporter :
The government has launched at least one youth-friendly health service center in every Upazila across the country to prevent child marriage.
The project launched with the slogan “From ten to nineteen, we are with you” aiming at creating mass awareness among the teenagers about the child marriage and adolescent related diseases.
In order to see the successful implementation of this health center and the role of it, this correspondent visited Gazipur City Corporation (GCC), Dakhin khan, Dhirashram, Rabeya Anwar Nagar Matrisadan recently. A private NGO LightHouse organized the visit.
Talking to the New Nation, Papia Rahman, project manager of the city mother’s house, said, “The health centers are providing health services to the poor women and children of the city area under the supervision of a council.”
“We arrange adolescent health education sessions twice a month. Besides, on an average, 15 to 20 teenagers come to our center for taking the services per day,” she added.
Medical Officer Dr Irene Haque said, “The officers and volunteers of Light House sent teenagers from different villages to our service center through campaigning in the area. We are also distributing leaflets to create awareness among the teenagers and their parents about the harmfulness of the child marriage.”
Yasmin, Councilor of an Adolescent Friendly Health Service Center, said that through the awareness programme, the teenagers are easily sharing their personal problems with us. As a result, we are being able to take effective steps to prevent and prevent the ill effects of child marriage.
Light House is a national level NGO. Since its inception, the organization has been conducting HIV, HD and STI prevention, poverty alleviation, legal aid, good governance, education, health and family planning, disaster management, anti-trafficking programs among the poor, tribal and at-risk populations of the country.
A project called “Sukhi Jiban” on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, funded by USAID and managed by Pathfinder International, with the full cooperation and approval of the Directorate of Family Planning in Dhaka (South and North) City Corporation and Gazipur City Corporation and five Thanas or Upazilas of Gazipur District.
