Adolescent and Youth Health Programme
Providing multidisciplinary, preventive, promotive and curative healthcare to adolescents and young people in safe, supportive and youth-friendly environments.
Programme Overview
A youth-focused healthcare programme designed to support healthy development, reduce risk behaviours and improve access to essential services.
What Is The Programme?
Adolescence, from 10 to 19 years, is a unique and formative period involving physical, emotional and social changes. The programme supports adolescents and young people through accessible health services in youth-friendly environments.
Why Implement It?
- Adolescents and youth face increased vulnerability to health risks and hazards.
- Young people require information, life skills, health services and supportive environments.
- The programme supports healthy development and reduces risk behaviours and adverse outcomes.
Aims
- Protect and improve the physical and mental health of adolescents and youth.
- Provide timely health promotion, prevention and curative interventions.
- Contribute to SDG and National Health Strategic Plan targets.
Objectives
- Provide youth-friendly access to integrated health services.
- Offer comprehensive life-skill based information packages.
- Provide a safe and supportive environment.
- Promote active engagement of adolescents in health services.
- Promote healthy sexual and reproductive health.
- Reduce unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortion, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
- Promote mental wellbeing.
Key Interventions
The programme combines health promotion, preventive care, curative services, rehabilitation, counselling and psychosocial support.
- Promotion of physical activity.
- Education on healthy nutrition.
- Education on safe sexual and reproductive health practices.
- Education on prevention of injuries and violence.
- 24-hour youth helpline.
- Information on tobacco, alcohol and psychoactive substance misuse.
- Provision of contraceptives based on professional judgement.
- Family planning services.
- Pregnancy testing.
- Breast self-examination education.
- Screening for sexually transmitted infections.
- HIV and Hepatitis C testing.
- Pap smear services.
- Referral to General Practitioners and specialised care programmes.
- Treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
- Home-based care for young people with complex needs, chronic illness or disability.
- Pre- and post-abortion counselling.
- Family planning and contraceptive support.
- Support for school-aged mothers to complete their education.
- Support services following sexual assault.
- Psychologist services.
- Mental health services for suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and emotional disorders.
Referrals For Intervention Or Mediation
Where additional support is required, young people may be referred to relevant national agencies and partner organisations for intervention, mediation, protection, counselling or specialised assistance.
Eligibility
Adolescents aged 13–19 years and youth aged 20–30 years, including:
- Advanced Level students.
- Students in vocational centres.
- School dropouts and out-of-school youth.
Service Providers
- Nurses and Doctors.
- Health Promotion Officers.
- Psychologists.
- Peer Educators.
- Youth Groups and Mentors.
Where Delivered
Services are delivered in youth-friendly environments that are safe, accessible, confidential and supportive for adolescents and young people.