GOVERNMENT and non-government agencies come together to strengthen the implementation of adolescent and youth health programs in the city.
Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan recently created the Adolescent and Youth Health Program (AYHP) Council composed of government and non-government organizations to spearhead the implementation of health programs for said age group in the city.
In his Administrative Order No. 59, the mayor designated himself as chair of the council with Councilor Fred Bagbagen, chair of the City Council Committee on Health as vice chair, City Health Services officer-in-charge Dr. Rowena Galpo as convenor and population program officer Zenaida Quijana as co-convenor.
Members from the government are the Council Committee on Socials Services chair, the Cordillera offices of the Center for Health and Development, the Commission on Population, Department of Education Baguio City Division of School and National Youth Council, the City Social Welfare and Development office, the Baguio City Police Office, Baguio General Hospital, Baguio City National High School, Pines City National High School and the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children.
Non-government organizations included in the council are the Baguio Center for Young Adults, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, Crossroads, Philippine Ob-Gyne Society, Luzon Health and Family Planning Organization of the Philippines Chapter Youth Core Group.
As per the mayor’s order, the council will serve as the “overall coordinating and implementing body for the implementation of the AYHP Strategy and Plan in the City of Baguio, with emphasis on the reduction of unintended teen pregnancy and adolescent childbirth.”
It will also formulate the comprehensive AYHP framework and operational plan and oversee its implementation, ensure provision of financial resources from the city to support the implementation of the AYHP in the locality and undertake program monitoring and evaluation.
The council will also identify the needs, issues, concerns and problems experience by adolescents in close coordination with the barangay officials and other agencies.
Out of the city’s population of 345,400, 102,000 belong to the 10-24 years old age group.
“In the year 2012, total deliveries among adolescents 19 years old and below were 1,250 and in 2013, there were 1,158 deliveries wherein 59 percent of 682 deliveries were from Baguio residents and 476 or 41 percent were from transients. The youngest age recorded was 10 years old,” the mayor noted.
The mayor said this and other concerns related to adolescents prod the city to adopt AYHP which aims to achieve healthy development, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, reduction of substance use, injuries and mortality, morbidity and psychological consequences of violence and mental health. (Aileen Refuerzo)