Bridgetown, Barbados, 23 November 2023 (PAHO/WHO) - Over the past week, five promising young professionals and youth advocates from Guyana travelled to Bogota, Columbia to engage in a pivotal adolescent/youth learning exchange with Profamilia, a leading Colombian Non-Governmental Organization. Renowned as a Center of Excellence in the advancement of adolescent and youth health. Profamilia champions youth-friendly spaces and has been instrumental in promoting vital health information and services through its vast network of 1,200 youth advocates across Colombia.
The exchange was designed to bolster the capabilities of the Guyanese participants, with the goal of enhancing and expanding their national networks. This collaboration aimed to further the progress of adolescent and youth health services in Guyana and empower youth leaders to become pivotal advocates for sexual reproductive health among adolescents and youth. This also includes pregnancy prevention programmes and the implementation of adolescent-friendly health services. The initiative is aligned with the Guyana Ministry of Health’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy and Package of Essential Health Care Services, reflecting a commitment to improving youth health services.
Operating under the theme “Juventudes Inspiradoras - Inspiring Youths,” the exchange programme featured plenary sessions and hands-on learning opportunities. Representatives from the Guyana Ministry of Health’s Adolescent Health Unit, Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association, Cummings Lodge Youth Movement, as well as two health personnel from regions 1 and 9 and the PAHO Guyana Adolescent Field Officer, participated in the exchange. The team gained invaluable insights into Profamilia's dynamic youth network and the execution of adolescent-friendly spaces designed to cater to the diverse needs of youths.
This initiative is a direct outcome of the resolutions set forth at the 2nd Caribbean Congress on Adolescent and Youth Health, held in Jamaica in 2022 and aligns with the Caribbean Road Map for advancing adolescent and youth health.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) through its Subregional Office for the Caribbean and the Guyana Country Office will support the recommendations for implementation of an Action Plan developed by the youth who were engaged in the Exchange Visit. The Action Plan will include activities to address the challenges in priority areas of youth participation, regulations and access in relation to adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights.
PAHO’s Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity/ Gender, Human Rights, and Cultural Diversity team facilitated this exchange through the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded project, “Improved Health of Women and Adolescent Girls in Situations of Vulnerability.”