The Federal Government has been urged to prioritise young people’s sexual and reproductive health and right in the implementation of the one per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) provided for in the 2018 budget.
The youth made the appeal when they staged a Flash Mob at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja recently.
The action was led by Education as a Vaccine (EVA) in Collaboration with Nigeria Youth Champions For Universal Health Coverage (NYC4UHC), Association of the Positive Youths Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (APYIN), Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASHWAN) and other young people to commemorate the maiden edition of the Universal Health Coverage Day.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, an Advocacy Fellow for EVA, Vanessa Sheni, said adolescent girls and young women from poor households are among the most vulnerable in the society and their health should be given priority.
“This will aid them to grow into healthy adults capable of contributing to improvements in their households and the development of the country,” the youth advocate said.
Sheni urged the federal government to set aside 20 per cent of the Human Resource Development Fund for building capacity of healthcare personnel to better meet the specific needs of adolescents and young people.
She called for the inclusion of adolescents and young people into the category of people eligible for user fee exemption that will be covered in the Basic Minimum Health package.
A Director at the Ministry of Finance, Anselem Anyanwu, received the Flash Mob on behalf of the Minister, Zainab Ahmed, and promised to convey their requests to the Minister.
