More investments are needed to ensure the health and well-being of young people and there is a need for a new paradigm in the education system that will prepare youths to face life, Minster of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy says.
He made the remarks at the opening of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) regional workshop on Adolescent/Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health, Information and Services at the Grand Coastal Hotel Conference Room yesterday.
Participants from across the Caribbean region were in attendance as the workshop got underway yesterday. Among other objectives, the meeting aims to discuss issues which challenge adolescents and youths in their everyday lives; raise the awareness of participants on the need to invest in adolescent/youth development programmes which integrate sexual and reproductive health services and share models of best practices on adolescent youth friendly services in the health sector and the wider community.
Other objectives are to promote the multi-sectoral approach for comprehensive, integrated adolescent/youth development programmes and to identify areas for expanded collaboration with the UNFPA.
Giving the feature address, Ramsammy stated that not only in Guyana, but globally, systems are structured in a way that neglects arrangements for young people and there is no guarantee of health if youth health challenges are ignored. He said that while in most countries great lengths are taken to ensure that children are born in a safe environment there is much more that can be done to improve this part of the programme.
Noting that “we reinforce the notion that young people will live forever” the health minister said that the health and well-being of young people are not catered for. He asserted that diabetes and heart disease, which surface in later years, have their origins in adolescence.
Ramsammy further declared that “too many children in our countries are having children”, which leave them to face the challenges of being adults far too early and “yet our system does not cater to the health of young people.”
The health minister pointed out that older folks are spoken to about their diet, nutritional health and sexual habits and “we ignore the fact that we could have done so earlier. We wait until they have learnt the bad habits