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NGO Decries Lack of SRH Services Access in Rural Areas

Men for Gender Equality Now (MEGEN) National Chairperson, Marcel Chisi has observed that access to sexual reproductive health services among adolescents in rural areas remains a challenge risking young people to teen pregnancies beside sexually transmitted infections.

However, Chisi has told Zodiak on Monday that stakeholders need to step up efforts to counter beliefs that hinder youths from accessing such services.

Chisi was speaking this in Traditional Authority (TA) Kalembo in Balaka district where his organization trained over 200 adolescent young boys and men from TAs Amidu and Kalembo where cases of early pregnancies, early Marriages and unplanned pregnancies are on the rise according to the Communities and traditional leaders.

He highlighted that much as the focus should be on both boy and girl child empowerment, it is often these young men that are culprits in orchestrating early pregnancies thus the need to orient them on issues of sexual reproductive health.

He added that he is excited that ministry of gender and social welfare and community development is working on a strategy to harness a similar goal to empower adolescent young boys and men.

Alex Mtukuwo from Njese youth club said the training was timely as it will help him and fellow youths make informed decisions as future responsible fathers.

"We had no knowledge regarding issues of sexual reproductive health rights services in our areas because we did not have the privilege," said Mtukuwo.

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