Youth organisation commended for outreach clinics

Youth Friendly Health Services (YFHS) Coordinator for Chitipa District Health Office, James Kasambara has commended Pamoza Tingakwaniska Youth Organisation for financing outreach clinics in the area of Traditional Authority Mwenewenya in the District.

Saying it is tackling logistical challenges and improving access to YFHS among the youths in the hard to reach rural communities.

The remarks were made following an outreach clinic that the Organisation conducted at Kamilamphande in the area.

In an interview Kasambara, said the areas where the NGO is conducting outreach clinics are far from Health Centres which makes it hard for community members to access Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services when they need them.

Taking these services to their communities has made us reach a number of youths with SRH services and this is a positive thing for us as we have reached out to many youths who couldnt access these services, he said.

Kasambara has since urged the organization to continue rendering financial support towards taking SRH services to rural areas that are far from health centres in order to improve access to SRH services amongst youths.

One of the beneficiaries of the YFHS Anna Msukwa, expressed gratitude to Pamoza Tingakwaniska for bringing the outreach clinics to their door step.
Adding that girls are most affected from an absence of a nearest health centre to access family planning services hence conducting the outreach clinics in their location is a huge relief to them.

On her part Programs Manager for the Organisation Gomezgani Mhango, said they were compelled to conduct an outreach clinic in the area looking at the accessibility of services and transportation costs that youth spend in going to access YFHS.

The youths are spending up to K4000 to travel to the nearest health centre which is a lot of money in the rural communities hence we thought of bringing these services to their doorstep, Mhango Explained.
During the outreach clinic, services like Family Planning methods, HIV testing and counselling were among the things that were administered.

The organization is conducting outreach clinics under its Wanangga Wane project implemented in Karonga and Chitipa District respectively.