It is hard to get teens to sit an opening talking about their problems much less their sexual urges, well the Ministry of Health is trying to change that through it national adolescent consultation. Here is more from today's session.
Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, Technical Advisor, MOH Maternal and Child Health Unit
"We are having a national consultation with adolescents from the different districts and we want to get their input because we are working as a team, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Development along with other partners providing services to adolescents in developing the national strategic plan for adolescent health so we want to hear from young people what are their perceptions of what are the issues that are affecting adolescents currently in Belize."
Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"So it is two events you have the event with the adolescents and of course you have the event with the media. What are some of the specific topics you guys addressed this morning?"
Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer
"Well the representatives from the different media houses we considered that it was necessary to provide them with the basic information. The topics that we are addressing as a country."
"In regards to adolescent health it is a result of many of the different spheres for example economics affect adolescents, poverty affects adolescents, access to schooling affects adolescents, lack of exercise affects adolescents and would condition or puts them at risk for NCD's and of course the biggest picture affecting adolescents is that related to their sexuality so a lack of information and poor quality services can drive up adolescent birth rate which we know is double the world wide average for Belize. We are at 85 when worldwide the rate is 44 per every thousand female 15 to 19, HIV we know it is also affecting young people."
Denroy Nembhard, Youth Participant
"When it comes to mental health we already had a discussion about that where we need more education working with people with mental health and also awareness about the different mental health issues."
Juel Lewis, Youth facilitator
"I am excited and honored to be a part of this conference because it gives me the opportunity to share some of the health issues affecting me and my peers in my community and being able to facilitate that process of getting back the feedback from people around my age group and finding out the health issues from the perspective of the youth."
More sessions will be held later on in November.
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