The government has pledged to tackle the challenges facing adolescents by creating safe and supportive environments that empower them to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
This was highlighted by Dr. Jim Yonazi, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office for Policy, Parliament, and Coordination, while opening a meeting for stakeholders implementing adolescent-focused initiatives (NAIA) on behalf of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups.
The meeting, which runs from October 31 to November 1, 2024, is taking place in Dodoma Region.
Dr. Yonazi explained, "The National Agenda for Investing in Adolescent Health and Development, launched on April 17, 2021, aims to accelerate the implementation of priority areas related to adolescent health and development in 13 regions with unsatisfactory indicators in these areas."
"The agenda focuses on six key pillars: preventing HIV infections, eradicating teenage pregnancies, ending physical, sexual, and psychological violence, improving nutrition, ensuring that boys and girls remain in school to complete their education, and advancing youth in skills and vocational training to increase their opportunities for self-employment and employability," said Dr. Yonazi.
Dr. Yonazi also urged all stakeholders involved in adolescent issues to recognize the importance of investing in adolescent solutions today to secure a strong nation both now and in the future.
"The theme of this meeting, 'Addressing Adolescent Challenges for a Strong Nation,' emphasizes the broad implementation of this agenda, which is essential to addressing the challenges facing today’s youth. I hope this meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss in depth the issues affecting adolescents based on the experience of implementing this agenda over the past three years," Dr. Yonazi added.
Deputy Permanent Secretary for Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups, Advocate Amon Mpanju, acknowledged the efforts of international and non-governmental organizations that have launched various projects to ensure that adolescents receive friendly health services, reproductive health education, and skills to empower them for self-sufficiency.
"These achievements did not happen by chance; they are the result of the substantial efforts made by you, our development partners, in collaboration with the Sixth Phase Government under Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who established this Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women, and Special Groups. I take this opportunity to sincerely commend you for your cooperation in achieving the objectives of this agenda," said Advocate Mpanju.
Dr. Wilson Mahela, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, reminded youth to take care of themselves by upholding Tanzania’s positive traditions and avoiding imitating everything they see on social media.
On behalf of the stakeholders, Edgar Lungu, a representative from UNICEF, expressed gratitude to the government for enabling stakeholders to implement their interventions and pledged to continue providing strong support to help achieve the government’s goal of building a strong nation with empowered youth.
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