Adolescent Friendly Health Service is a service provided by health institutions that focuses on the welfare of adolescents (10-19 years of age) through the guidance on how to maximize the use of health care services in the adolescents.
Samundratar Health Post, Nuwakot is providing AFHS with its limited resources given.
4. Background of Samundratar Health Post
• Samundratar Health Post is situated in the
Dupcheswor Rural Municipality, Samundratar
ward no.6 of Nuwakot.
• It provides different facillities like; OPD on
basic health services, TB screening, eye clinic,
adolescent friendly services etc.
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5. Introduction: Adolescent Friendly
Health Services (AFHS)
• Adolescent Friendly Health Service is a
service provided by health institutions that
focuses on the welfare of adolescents (10-19
years of age) through the guidance on how to
maximize the use of health care services in the
adolescents.
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6. • Nepal Government launched a national
program in 2010 to provide adolescent-
friendly health services as part of its five-year
health sector plan.
• It aims to serve all adolescents.
• Although launched in the era of the MDG that
ended in 2015, the program is in the spirit of
the SDG (2015–30).
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7. National standards for AFHS
1. Service delivery packages responding to
adolescents’ health needs should be provided at
service delivery points
2. Health services should be organized to
effectively deliver services, ensuring availability
of trained providers, equipment and supplies
3. Conducive facility environment is provided that
identifies and addresses the barriers that
adolescents face accessing services
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8. 4. Service providers have the capacity and
motivation to address the needs of adolescents
(includes clinical and supportive staff)
5. An enabling community environment exists for
adolescents to access services
6. Adolescents are well informed about services
7. Adolescents and youth are provided with skills-
based SRH education
8. Protection of sexual and reproductive health and
rights of adolescents and removal of stigma and
discrimination
9. Health management systems are in place to
support planning, implementation and monitoring
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9. Characteristics of AFHS
Programmatic:
• Involvement of adolescents in program
development and implementation
• Male and female adolescents welcomed and
treated equally
• Unmarried clients welcomed and served without
prejudice
• Parental involvement encouraged but not
compulsory
• Adequate supply of contraceptives
• Short waiting time
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10. • Availability of IEC materials at facility
• Coordination with schools, youth clubs and
other institutions
• Provision of alternative ways for adolescents to
access information, counseling and services
outside routine health care delivery system
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11. Providers:
• In-depth knowledge and skills concerning
counseling, examination and referral
• Trained on ASRH issues (through National Health
Training Centre)
• Shows respect without prejudice
• Ensures privacy and confidentiality
• Spends adequate time with clients
• Capable of providing counseling on ASRH issues
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12. Facility:
• Convenient opening hours for adolescents
• Convenient location
• Adequate space
• Appropriate place for registration and waiting
• Ensure sufficient privacy (visual and auditory)
• Welcoming environment (quiet, availability of
drinking water, toilet facilities)
• Availability of IEC and BCC materials
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13. Objectives
General Objective
• To find about the Adolescent Friendly Health
Service (AFHS) provided by Samundratar Health
Post
Specific Objectives
• To study whether the AFHS characteristics of
Samundratar Health Post is met or not
• To assess the activities conducted by Health Post
to solve health problems of adolescents in
Samundratar community
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14. Methodology
• Study Area: Samundratar HP, Nuwakot
• Study Design: Cross sectional study design
• Primary source: Informal Interview
Observation
• Secondary source: Citizens Charter of HP
Annual report
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15. Findings
What does it have?
• Though, not completely followed the standard
guideline of GoN for AFHS, some of the services
are provided specifically for adolescents.
• It provides services of counseling to the
adolescent.
• It works for promotion of sexual and reproductive
health service of adolescent.
• It provides family planning information to the
adolescent who visits the health post due to
curiosity.
• Also, condoms were provided freely and easily in
order to prevent unsafe sex.
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16. • Male and female adolescent were not
discriminated during services and treated
equally.
• The waiting period was short, and service was
quick.
• School Health programs related to adolescents
health were conducted sometimes in
coordination with other organization.
• The environment is quiet and peaceful.
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17. Things to be Improved
• It does not have separate room for AFHS to maintain
privacy.
• Involvement of adolescents in program planning is
lacking.
• IEC materials were not in sufficient amount.
• There were no any hoarding board with information
that it provides adolescent friendly health services.
• Due to lack of information that the health post provides
the service of information about reproductive health of
their age, adolescent do not visit the health post.
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18. Conclusion
• In countries like Nepal, where sexual and reproductive
related topics are mostly stigmatized, most of the
people are not comfortable with the topic of sexual and
reproductive health so, adolescent hides their curiosity
within themselves.
• Samundratar Health Post is working in its best possible
manner to provide health services to the people.
• Some of the characteristics of AFHS are met by health
post whereas some are still to be improved.
• Still, there were some lackings to provide the adequate
adolescent friendly health services even if the citizens
charter of the health post clearly mentioned about it.
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19. Recommendation
• Better if people were well aware about the
facilities provided by the health post.
• A focal person for this specific facility would be
more fruitful.
• Use of more and proper IEC materials would be
more effective to provide the respective services.
• Regular and specific trainings could be given to
the staffs.
• Better if, awareness programs related adolescents
health and problems were conducted frequently.
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