91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ

A major public health concern in Nigeria is the poor state of adolescent sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Lack of sexual and reproductive health information and services, underestimation of risks of unprotected sexual activities makes young people vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, early and unintended pregnancies and gender-based violence. Lack of Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) information on the part of young people as well as inadequate knowledge and comfort level to teach or properly guide adolescents by teachers and parents have also been a bane. Youth and adolescents need information and assurance about what is happening to them. As they mature, some are confused about what they are supposed to do in different situations, making sense of evolving relationships with family and peers, experiencing new body feelings, and trying to assess conflicting messages about who they are and what is expected of them.

UNESCO Education for Health and Wellbeing Project: Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme supports the delivery of good quality Family Life HIV Education that empowers adolescents and young people, and builds agency while developing the skills, knowledge, attitudes and competencies required for preventing HIV, reducing early and unintended pregnancies and eliminating gender-based violence.

UNESCO is working with partners to ensure that adolescents and young people are well-informed about HIV, on reducing HIV new infections, early and unintended pregnancies, about staying safe and reducing gender-based violence including in and around the school.

Under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education, its parastatals such as the National Commission for Colleges of Education collaborated with other line Ministries (Health, Women Affairs and Social Development and Youth and Sports) and with funding support to CSO partners (Action Health Incorporated, Education as Vaccine and Association for Reproductive and Family Health), teachers’ capacities were strengthened to deliver quality FLHE lessons towards empowering adolescents and young people with the knowledge, attitudes and skills to prevent HIV new infections, adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence in and around schools.

At a workshop organized in collaboration with the National Commission for Colleges of Education, 300 teacher educators, pre-and in-service teachers’ had their capacities strengthened, improved confidence and comfort level to deliver FLHE topics at different levels.  In the workshop post-test, the participants described the workshop as invaluable, addressed their own biases and equipped them with the knowledge and skills to support young people.