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On behalf of the Edo State Technical Working Group for Adolescent and Youth Health and Development (STWGAYHD), Advocacy Core Group (ACG) and other stakeholders, I welcome everyone to the 2022 International Youth Day with the theme Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.
For the benefit of those that may not be aware, STWGAYHD is an active group of Stakeholders that are passionate about achieving the vision of an Edo State where every young person is empowered to have optimal health and development.
The group consists of Civil Society Organizations programming for Adolescents and Youth, Development Partners, Media Personnel, Service Providers, Young People Advocate and Line Ministries.
If you fall into any of these categories and you are yet to be part of it, know that your membership seat is vacant.
The STWGAYHD was established as an advisory body to the Ministry of Health on advancing the health and development of young people in Edo State.
The broad aim is to ensure that the policy is up-to-date vis-Ã -vis current health trends and policy frameworks including the revised State and National Health Policy and the global development goals.
In Edo State a lot appears to be going on for Adolescents and Young People however, there is the need to do more considering the peculiarity of the target group.
I call them the bridge between childhood and adulthood….you know that as bridges are usually suspended, anything can happen.
Amongst other issues, one of the major issues plaguing young people is inadequate access to Reproductive Health Services, mostly accurate information on reproductive health services and contraceptive service access.
Numerous factors such as parental influence, community and religious norms etc are seen as significant barriers affecting sexual and reproductive health discussion.
To address this social barrier hence we are having this Intergenerational Dialogue on Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. We want to see how much of this gap that we can close.
We have heard elders in the society say in our days, things were not as bad as this and in saying this they refer to almost every sphere from education, to health, employment, morals, attitude and behavior.
One is tempted to ask, where did we miss it, where does the gap lie? Can we identify these gaps for things to get better? With the advent of technology and improvement in information, one would have expected that the older generation would be envying this generation.
However, opinion sampled so far revealed that the older generation still prefer their day, they are actually worried about the increasing rate of vices in our society. Gender based violence including rape that should not be heard of, has become something that people can justify and boast of.
The age of sexual debut is reducing very rapidly, the rate of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy leading to unsafe abortion is on the increase; drug and substance abuse on the rise.
The list can be endless and it's really disheartening hence the need for us to come together to address this.
We believe that intergenerational dialogue involving the older and young generation would avail opportunity to not some of this gap which in line with the theme for 2022 International Youth Day “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages”.
We enjoin every one of us present to actively participate in the discussion; the input you would be making today may be the life line of your tomorrow.
We must use this opportunity to appreciate all those who have been supportive in one way or the other, to mention a few the Ministry of Health our mother ministry; remarkably the Ministry of Youths and Humanitarian Affairs under the leadership of Hon. Chris Nehikhare for the programs he has led the ministry to roll out, we encourage all to key into it.
Once again you are all welcome and we appreciate you for making this day memorable. Thanks
 CHAIRMAN, DR. BRIGHT ONIOVOKUKOR DURING THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY){kind=link}
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