2024 Adolescent Week: Pate Says Adolescent Needs Support to Thrive

Daju Kachollom in a photo session with students from visiting schools at the event

"Our role, as policymakers, health practitioners, educators and community leaders, is to create environments that nurture resilience by providing adolescents with access to comprehensive healthcare, mental health support, quality education and safe spaces by ensuring they have the tools, knowledge and support they need, to not survive but thrive.”  Ali Pate 

Nigerians have been called upon to ensure that adolescents do not only survive but also thrive as their health and well-being will determine the trajectory of our nation's progress.

Giving this advocacy is the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate.

Prof. Pate, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom made the appeal in his speech at the 2024 National/International Adolescent Week Commemoration with the theme “Thriving Not Surviving: Building Adolescents' Resilience” held in Abuja.

The Coordinating Minister of Health explained that the health and resilience of adolescent is not just an investment in their personal future but also, an investment in the future of our communities, economy and the entire nation.

Pate pointed out that this year's theme, “Building Adolescents' Resilience” could not be more timely or relevant. 

According to the Honourable Minister, in a statement issued and signed by Alaba Balogun, Deputy Director Press and Public Relations Department of the Ministry, "Our role, as policymakers, health practitioners, educators and community leaders, is to create environments that nurture resilience by providing adolescents with access to comprehensive healthcare, mental health support, quality education and safe spaces by ensuring they have the tools, knowledge and support they need, to not survive but thrive.”

While highlighting the commitments of the Federal Ministry of Health towards strengthening adolescent health systems across the country, the Coordinating Minister affirmed that intensifying efforts to integrate adolescent-specific services into Primary healthcare through initiatives will promote male child inclusion to earn their understanding and support.

To this end, he affirmed that, “The Ministry is working tirelessly to improving adolescent nutrition, combat gender -based violence and ensuring young people have the required informed decisions about their health and future”.

Speaking on health issues affecting adolescent and efforts of the Ministry to combat them, Prof. Pate explained that one of the most pressing issues facing our adolescents today is mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety etc, which are on the rise, with many young people suffering in silence due to stigma, lack of awareness and insufficient access to care.

The Ministry, according to the Coordinating Minister, is committed to breaking this silence and to address these issues, emphasizing that it has established the National Mental Health programme, which is saddled to roll out policies to raise awareness about mental health, reduce stigma and provide adolescents with support and care they need. “Mental health must be treated with the same urgency and importance as physical health,”he added.

Citing other measures proffered to improve the health of adolescent, the Minister asserted that, “the Ministry has embraced the Sector-Wide Approach Program (SWAp) and National Health Sector Investment Initiative (NHSII) to ensure no one is left behind. Structurally, the Ministry has an Adolescent and School Health Branch (ASH) to drive Adolescent and school health programmes. Some of the programmes are Sexual Reproductive Health Right (SRHR), Adolescent and Youth Friendly Health Services (AYFHS), and West and Central Africa (WCA) Commitment Adolescent Girls Initiative and Learning Education (AGILE). All these have been mainstreamed into the policies-The Adolescent Development Health-related policies.” 

While appreciating the contribution of stakeholders such as WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, AHBN, SFH, Girl Effect, TCI, for their technical and financial support, Prof. Pate described Adolescent as active agents of change, adding that they can be incredible drivers of innovation, leadership and progress when empowered, supported and equipped.

In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, FMOH&SW Daju Kachollom mni, represented by the Director, Family Health, Dr. Binyerem Ukaire, stated that adolescence is a formative period and the health choices made during the period impact the entire life course of an individual.

She pointed out that commemoration of Adolescent health week is not just symbolic but a collective responsibility to empower adolescent, saying “Adolescence is a formative period and health choices made during these years can impact an individual's life course. This is why this commemoration is not just symbolic -it serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect, nurture and empower our adolescents. The Ministry remains committed to the health and wellbeing of all Nigeria in particular our young people”.

To this end, the Permanent Secretary urged the health workers, policy makers, educators, parents, the media among others to work together for a future where every adolescent can thrive; noting the importance of ensuring that the young are not just navigating through life but are equipped with the skills, resources and support systems needed to contribute meaningfully to the society.