“The Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) is committed to advance the government’s development agenda. So DGFP is working to ensure friendly services to all young people for developing youth’s health need” – said the Director-General of Family Planning, Quazi AKM Mohiul Islam during a roundtable meeting on the International Youth Day 2019 organized by SERAC-Bangladesh on Thursday at CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka.
He also added-“One-third of the population of the country is young people. If this large number of the population become healthy, wise and work together, this country will be one of the developed countries soon”. The Director-General also uncovered a booklet on youth-friendly services edited by SERAC on the same occasion.
Executive Director of SERAC-Bangladesh, SM Shaikat said that the Government needs to put more concentration and have an effective plan to ensure youth-friendly health services. He emphasized to consider revising the service hours and age frame of Adolescent Friendly Health Services Corners of DGFP.
Dr. Abu Sayed Mohammad Hasan, SRH Specialist of UNFPA presented a keynote on global and Bangladesh perspective of Adolescent Friendly Health Services. Dr. Abu Jamil Faisel, CSO Country Focal of FP2020 inspired the youth participants to be conscious about their rights and responsibilities. Dr. AFM Matiur Rahman, Executive Director of FPAB explained that sustainable development is possible when GO and NGO will work together. Dr. Jebun Nessa Rahman, Senior Technical Advisor of jhpiego emphasized on educating youth and adolescents about family planning information and the importance of spacing birth.
Adolescent Friendly Health Services Corners remain open all day long including the weekends– was the theme to celebrate this event which was supported by Right Here Right Now and Population Action International and hundreds of youth representatives demanded youth friendly services joining voices with the speakers. Among others- Fosiul Ahsan, Program Director and Saraban Tahura Zaman, National Project Coordinator of Bandhu Social Welfare Society, Marzina Khatun of BRAC, Samia Afrin of Naripokkho, Afroja Yesmin Khan of OGSB, Sharmin Obaid of UBR Alliance, Dr. Fatema Shabnam of Pathfinder International, SERAC-Bangladesh representatives Abdul Wadud, Rokonol Rabbi, Tasnia Ahmed, Shakil Ahmad and Nusrat Sharmin Resma were also present.
