The picture of the week

International Women's Day, Petauke, Zambia

Patrick Makelele - FHI 360/ZPCT, Kasama, Zambia

2024-05-01

International Women's Day March 2024, leaving no girl behind for investment. Petauke District Adolescent team in the Eastern Province of Zambia embarked on adolescent girl sensitization in schools.

Affected by teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS challenges, Petauke district is intensifying adolescent health activities on the ground. The district collaborates and leverages support from local partners, (e.g., CDC Zambia, Global Fund, CHAI, Save the children, CHAZ, FHI 360), is actively conducting capacity building of health care workers to provide adolescent health friendly services, teachers and peer education combined with gate keepers like traditional and church leaders are being oriented and sensitized to address critical issues affecting adolescent health service's activities. After having trained adolescent health care worker in public health centers and peer educators, the district adolescent coordinator Boniface Konie is working with trained local adolescent focal persons of Ministry of Health in each area to sensitize on going school adolescent girls around international women day activities.

The adolescent team of Petauke Urban clinic led by the sister in charge visited 5 schools in the first week of March 24 to sensitize school going adolescent girls on the dangers of teenage pregnancies, HIV, alcohol abuse, and many other risk behaviors that may affect adolescents. They took this opportunity to make adolescent girls aware of availability of youth and adolescent friendly health services at the local public clinic with after working hours service possibility. Girls were satisfied and happy to be informed of the youth and adolescent friendly services being offered at their local public health facility and the need for them to freely access them.

Petauke District is also receiving technical assistance from the FHI 360 regional Technical Advisor Dr Patrick Makelele, who is also GMFER international adolescent coach.

This is how International Women's Day March24 sensitization activities were extended to ongoing school girls in Petauke District of Eastern Province in Zambia.