Health information and services that are more accessible to adolescents and young people empowers them to take full advantage of opportunities for education, employment and societal participation. This was stated at the launch of the national study on the state of reproductive health of adolescents and youth in Pakistan. The study was jointly carried out by Population Council and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with support from the Department for International Development, UK (DFID) in Islamabad.
The report analyses health issues including puberty, family planning and marriage, and awareness on gender-based violence faced by adolescent and young boys and girls (ages 15 to 29). The study was conducted in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar. Key recommendations of the study pertain to making health, including reproductive health information and services more accessible to young people. Health staff must be trained in counselling and treatment modalities.
