\\\'Teachers\\\' role vital in adolescent-friendly health services\\\'

RAJSHAHI, July 13 (BSS): Responsive role of teachers, parents and leaders of influence has become an urgent need to ensure adolescent-friendly reproductive health services to all the target people for substantial and sustainable reduction of child marriage and child pregnancy, speakers at a discussion here said.

They viewed there should be effective measures of bringing the schoolteachers and others concerned under training on the issue so that they can teach their students and guide them properly.

Making the youths free from various misconceptions relating to reproductive health is very vital.

The observation came at the closing session of a two-day teachers training styled "School Based Adolescents Awareness Raising" held at Green Garden Training Center in the city Saturday. "Eradicating child marriage and child pregnancy is imperative in creating a glorious Bangladesh" was main theme of the training programme.

More than 25 teachers including two female from five high schools in Nachole Upazila joined the training.

Agriculture Sustainable and Socio-Economic Development Organisation (ASSEDO) and GKS jointly organised the programme in association with Prevention of Child Marriage and Child Pregnancy Project and Oxfam-Novib.

During his welcome address, Rabiul Alam, Executive Director of ASSEDO, said there is no alternative to create community awareness through raising school-based awareness on adolescence for combating the existing rate of child marriage.

He said the project aims to involve community people so that they can play vital role to change the social mindset on child marriage and child pregnancy.

Besides, the venture intends to build awareness among the adolescents about their rights on reproductive health, he added.

GKS Chairman Selim Jahangir and its Programme Officer Sarjamin Ahmed, ASSEDO Trainer Khaleda Khanom, Project Field Manager Ajahar Ali and School teacher Serajul Alam also spoke.