By Nnedinma Okeke
As part of efforts to promote inclusive, youth-friendly and integrated health services, Jhpiego Partners, with funding from Global Fund through the National AIDS, S£xually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (NASCP), has procured youth-friendly equipment for selected Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the State.
The equipment includes; two Smart TV sets, two table tennis boards, six plastic tables, 24 plastic chairs, as well as other indoor and outdoor games, including footballs, volleyballs, Ludo, Scrabble and chess.
Educational materials, such as JAMB and WAEC past question papers and other motivational books, were also provided to support the equipping of the youth-friendly PHCs.
During the official presentation of the items at the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA) office complex, Awka on September 1, 2026, the Executive Secretary, ASPHCDA, Dr. Chizoba Prisca Ezeasor expressed gratitude to the Jhpiego team and their funders for the continued partnership and efforts in ensuring that PHCs were youth-friendly.
She noted that the innovations would make PHCs more attractive to young people, who would in turn benefit from the healthcare services available to them, including S£xual and Reproductive Health education, among others.
The State team lead for Jhpiego S£xual and Reproductive Health (SRH) project in Anambra State, Dr Ameachi Okafor explained that the youth-friendly equipment/items were procured to support youth-friendly services at some selected primary healthcare centers in Anambra.
“These pieces of equipment will be distributed to selected health facilities supported by Jhpiego and we hope to scale up the intervention to more facilities as time goes on. The Jhpiego supported centers include; Aguata PHC and Oye Achina PHC, both in Aguata LGA; Alor PHC and Oba 1 PHC, both in Idemili South LGA; and Okpoko 2 PHC and Odekpe PHC, both in Ogbaru LGA.
“The aim of this innovative intervention is to bring young people closer to the health facilities, as they often perceive health centres as places where only pregnant women, children and the elderly go to receive healthcare services. Therefore, the intervention is intended to make PHCs more youth-friendly and conducive, while encouraging young people to access the healthcare services available at the facilities.
“This intervention, for us, is referred to as integrated health service delivery, whereby, regardless of what brings a person to the facility, we ensure that he or she has access to other relevant health services. Young people can benefit from S£xual and Reproductive Health services, as well as other healthcare services available to members of the society,” Dr. Okafor explained.
He further emphasized that the essence is to make the health centres more youth-friendly, so that young people can feel comfortable accessing the health services available at the facilities.
Nnedinma Okeke is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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