Young People’s Health and Development Conference Nigeria (April 2008)
The University of Ibadan, Centre for Population and Reproductive Health and Obafemi Awolowo University, Department of Community Health with technical and financial support from JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG, SCHOOL of PUBLIC HEALTH and with collaboration of WHO conveyed the meeting in Abuja NICON Luxury Hotel. Mr. Ntiokam Divine, Founder President and Mr. Eric Berinyuy, National Coordinator represented SGAC. The conference was followed by a series of Workshops facilitated by Dr. Jane Ferguson and Dr. Bruce Dick of WHO and Julia of UNFPA
The following topics were discussed:
1. Exploring dimensions of masculinity and violence with young men from the International Centre for Research on Women
2. Youth as mentors, using cascading mentorship models for Youth Programs by population Council*
3. Faith-Based Work with youth, Using New Christian and Muslim based curricula by interagency Youth Working Group-FHI
4. Health Sector response to Adolescent Health by WHO*
5. Communicating research to Effect Change by Guttmacher Institute*
6. Monitoring and Evaluation for Adolescent Health Programs by
International research on Women
7. PEER Education, What Program planned need to Know and Do by Interagency Youth Working Group, FHI *
SGAC participated actively in 3 * where resource materials were distributed to participants.

Dr. Bruce Dick, WHO spoke on Health Sector response to Adolescent Health by WHO. During his presentation he asked, what needs to be done to prevent HIV/AIDS in young people? Answer given was that poverty reduction, training programs, and creation of youth centres from primary to tertiary levels should be considered.

Dr. Jane Ferguson came with a new concept abbreviated as MAPM – Mapping-Adolescent-Programming-Measurement. This concept had the benefits of defining results across boundaries, relating health and development, looking at risks and protective factors all combining to identify what should be measured. MAPM is used by UNICEF and WHO.

Julia of UNFPA Malawi has done enormous work for the past few years looking at how youths between 6-10 should be taken care of and came out with principal standards namely: creation of services; community participation; provision of Youth Health Friendly Services (YHFS) by trained health workers; (This is one of the action plans of SGAC.) In Malawi PEER Educator Programs are launched yearly, a fact which explains why they are very health sensitive there today. She also spoke on strategic needs to be considered such as governments, private sectors, NGOs, traditional rulers, others e.g. pharmacists.

This particular workshop was ended asking what WHO should do now. This was answered as advocacy, technical assistance and convincing others to work together in partnership.

NOTE Handouts and CDs will be available from this conference at SGAC Head Office. Please feel free to join our yahoo group by sending a blank email with subject subscribe to sgacafrica-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and all comments will be welcomed at sgaccameroon@yahoo.fr. SGAC will be asking test questions soon on the Yahoo site. Please submit responses to sgaccameroon@yahoo.fr. SGAC Cameroon Steering Committee