Empowerher Project hosts round table to strengthen youth wellness hubs in Oyo

Fai Smile Africa, in collaboration with the Azariah Foundation, have convened a high -level political dialogue and a round table as part of the implementation of the Empowerher project in strengthening and reduced the Hub of well -being of young people (YWH) within the existing health facilities.

The event financed by the Gender Equality Fund (Gef) brought together official government officials, managers of healthcare structures, community stakeholders and civil society actors by Ibadan North, Ogbomoso North and Iseyin Lgas.

The Empowerher initiative focuses on improving health and sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR), as well as on HIV, TB and malaria results for teenage girls and young women (Agra) aged between 15 and 29 in the state of Oyo.

Speaking at the event, executive director of Make Her Smile Africa, Idundun Ibukun underlined the need for inclusive health services and suitable for young people who respond to Agra’s lived realities.

“The wellness centers of young people already exist in our system: we want to strengthen them by making them more accessible, sensitive to the genre and responsible for young people who must serve.”

The round table presented open presentations and dialogues among the healthcare facilities, family planning nurses, the officials of the HIV/AIDS program and the representatives of the local government, including the director of health services at the LGA level.

The participants examined the systemic gaps in the delivery of adolescent health care, including scarce staff, stigma, lack of corners suitable for young people and weak reference systems.

The key results of the round table included: “commitments by the managers of the health facilities to designate and improve the spaces for young people within their centers;

Others are, “a commitment by the interested parties to support the training of suppliers on gender-transformative assistance and sensitive to teenagers; and plans to establish a feedback mechanism of the community led by Agra to improve the quality and access of the service”.

Ibukunoluwa Idundun has described dialogue as “a crucial step to ensure that politics satisfies practice, in particular for young women vulnerable in underlying communities”.

Blueprint indicates that the round table will be followed by strengthening sessions of the skills for health workers and continuous defense commitments with the Ministry of Health and the actors of the local government.

The Empowerher project will continue to work through the LGA selected until December 2026.