The Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (AYSRHR) Conference, 2024
19 June 2024
Enhancing community-level awareness about AYSRHR and its prevention is imperative. Now is the time to confront the new wave of HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancies, early marriages, gender-based violence, and female genital mutilation..
Make Way Programme Kenya proudly participates in this year’s Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (AYSRHR) Conference in Mombasa, Kenya. As a key member diverse consortium, including CDSK, we have organized a series of constructive discussions for the duration of the conference. A highlight will be our youth champions delivering presentations based on abstracts that address specific SRHR themes.
The 7th Annual Conference commenced on an uplifting note, uniting stakeholders from diverse sectors—health, education, religion, and civil society organizations—across the African continent.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health’s Division of Reproductive and Maternal Health, the conference is dedicated to tackling Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (AYSRHR) issues in Africa by establishing clear priorities for progress, in a theme; Priorities for Advancing AYSRHR in Africa.
Participants contribute a wealth of knowledge and experience, displaying their significant initiatives across various booths, encompassing health, human rights, and education, among other areas.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Edward Serem, Head of the Division of Reproductive and Maternal Health (DNRM) at the Ministry of Health Kenya. He highlighted the persistent challenges in sustaining AYSRHR in Kenya and called for Multisectoral collaboration as a crucial strategy for addressing AYSRHR concerns in Africa.
“Enhancing community-level awareness about AYSRHR and its prevention is imperative. Now is the time to confront the new wave of HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancies, early marriages, gender-based violence, and female genital mutilation,” he emphasized.
Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of RHNK, expressed her concerns regarding the lack of comprehensive AYSRHR services. She emphasized the necessity to revise current policies and adopt an intersectional approach due to the compounded vulnerabilities affecting many young people, particularly those from impoverished backgrounds.
The opening session concluded wi
th a dynamic panel discussion, during which participants challenged government representatives on critical issues such as Comprehensive Sexuality Education, the scarcity of youth-friendly services, and the need to incorporate disability and climate change considerations into AYSRHR strategies.
