Poor Health Services Discouraging Youths

Looking disturbed, 20-year-old Nelson Matatizo Mumba says he is uncomfortable to come back again to Chitipa District Hospital to seek reproductive health services.

The young man from Kameme Village in Traditional Authority Kameme in the district is disillusioned by the general absence of Youth Reproductive Friendly Health Services (YRFHS) at the hospital.

He says the hospital no longer adheres to standards and specialized approaches of YRFHS that usually attract serve and retain young people as clients.

“We cannot express ourselves because the environment of the facility that provides YRFHS is no longer conducive for young people like me,” Mumba says.

Apparently, his reservations and views represent the general feeling and perception of many youths that this reporter interacted with at Chitipa Boma recently.

Youth groups from various places in the district expressed their concerns over the provision of YRFHS recently during focus group discussions on critical issues that are affecting them.