Sexual health group demands more investments in youth-friendly missions

Sexual Reproductive Health Services (SRHR) Africa Trust has said the Government should invest in the health of young people through adequate funding towards youth friendly services.

SRHR Africa Trust, senior programme officer Martin Silukena said in an interview on Wednesday that issues of reproductive health are critical in securing the future of the young people.

“We would like to call on government to allocate more funding towards youth friendly services from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), ” Silukena said.

He said doing so, would help to address challenges facing local communities such as child marriage and teen pregnancies especially in rural constituencies.

Silukena said the future of youths were at stake, hence the need for government to consider funding youth friendly programs using the CDF.

In 2022, the government increased the CDF from a low of K1.6 million to K25.7 million and this year is pegged at around K28.7 million respectively.

He said the government should use the resource decentralization through increased CDF to introduce youth friendly spaces aimed reducing escalation of sexually transmitted diseases among the young.

SRHR Africa Trust (SAT) supports adolescents and young people in southern Africa to walk healthy, happy, confident and safe pathways to adulthood.

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