LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi youth under the banner Global Financing Facility (GFF) youth coalition the past week engaged Parliamentary committees on health, budget for support towards sexual reproduction health service particularly in rural areas.
The coalition drawn from youth groups including All for Youth (A4Y) Youth Initiative for Community Development (YICOD Malawi), and Phalombe Youth Arms Organization (PYAO) wants full participation and engagement in the GFF Processes, budget and policy processes locally and national levels.
The coalition’s Project coordination Christina Chilimba observes that youths are not fully involvement in policy formulation towards sexual reproduction health.
Chilimba said the engagement with Parliamentary committees was to brief them on issues affecting young people as well as advocate for increased youth sensitive resource allocation using verified ground data.
“This project aims at advocating for increased resource allocation towards adolescent and youth SRHR + Nutrition in the National and District Budgets, National COVID 19 Response Plan and District Implementation Plans, through mobilizing and enhancing youth leaders’ capacity to hold government accountable.
“We are advancing resource allocation for youth friendly health services as well as sexual reproductive health and rights.Reason for our meeting with the parliamentarian committee chair was to present to him an advocacy brief,” says Chilimba.
She added, “We have trained 15 youth leaders, 5 from Mzuzu, 5 from Dowa and 5 from Mwanza
We have trained them on how to utilize a score card as well as development of a score card just to enrich them with skills.
“We want representation of youths in important positions to add that youthful voice in decision making. Our expectations after meeting the chair person of health committee is to at least see the advocate issue which we have brought to their table”.
Matthews Ngwale Parliamentary Health Chair lauded the youth coalition for engaging policy makers for quick intervention on issues raised towards advancement of sexual reproduction health services.
Ngwale therefore encouraged the coalition to reach out rural youth while assuring the grouping of total support towards sexual reproduction.
The Global Financing Facility (GFF) partnership has supported the government of Malawi to develop an investment case based on the country’s Health Sector Strategic Plan 2017-22 (HSSP-II).
Priorities include a focus to enhance governance and accountability, improve coordination, and strengthen access to and quality of primary care towards Universal Health Coverage.
The GFF is supporting the government to increase capacity for planning at sub-national level to improve governance, planning, and budget execution for health at district levels.
