Documentation MMS Conference 2024

MMS Conference 2024 SolidarMed presented three projects at our annual Medicus Mundi conference on "From Innovation to Scale: Advancing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People" in Bern on April 24, 2024. Read here their short summery.

• Summery

MMS Conference 2024

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MMS Conference 2024

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MMS Conference 2024

MMS Conference 2024 Data from 155 countries found that 85% report that they have policies, laws or legal frameworks related to sexuality education. Despite this favourable policy background, there remains a significant gap between policy and implementation on the ground (hrp - human reproductive programme).

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MMS Conference 2024 Our objective is to facilitate the engagement of every young woman in activities that not only foster personal growth but also contribute positively to the global community. By actively involving young women in such pursuits, we aim to mitigate their vulnerability to sexual reproductive health risks.

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MMS Conference 2024 The assessment showed that the national guidelines used by peer educators did not provide sufficiently concrete orientations and that peer educators' facilitation practices were expository and needed to be strengthened in terms of mobilizing adolescents' prior knowledge/practices and active involvement.

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MMS Conference 2024 By the end of the project, all 24 schoolgirls (aged 9 to 18 years) in Gombe remained in school, lived with their parents and no pregnancy occurred. Both school attendance and performance showed improvements over time, while community awareness of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) increased significantly. The end evaluation revealed a marked shift in community perceptions, with 99% of Gombe's population viewing early pregnancy unfavorably. Moreover, the community exhibited a 9-times greater engagement with adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) sessions than a neighboring village and knowledge on SRHR was almost 20% higher than the other village.

MMS Conference 2024 The project O3+ Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future uses targeted interventions in post-secondary educational institutions in Zambia and Zimbabwe to improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among 18-24 year-olds. Working with UNESCO and Ministries of Higher and Tertiary Education, the project brings Switzerland’s lengthy experience in the HIV/SRHR field to bear by targeting an often-neglected cohort of young people with tailored interventions to reduce HIV infections, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence.

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MMS Conference 2024 In rural Zimbabwe, SolidarMed's Teen Health Information and Innovation Spaces (THIIS) aim to overcome barriers to adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Launched in January 2023, the new adolescent health project began with an extensive survey involving 272 adolescents and 231 health facility staff which identified the need for adolescent-friendly services and spaces for quality care and information. THIIS, developed with adolescent input, offers SRHR and mental health care, alongside activities like sports, to foster engagement and well-being.

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MMS Conference 2024 We have learnt that it is important to help coordinate and consolidate different locally led interventions to address these multiple and intersecting issues considering that there is no one organisation that can deliver a comprehensive intervention to address the complex and interweaving factors at play in the health of young people. In this presentation, we share examples and results from our projects while capturing lessons that hold potential to improve programming for young people in SRHR.

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MMS Conference 2024 The Taboobreaker Association is dedicated to developing cost-effective, gamified multi-channel education programs aimed at empowering the mental and sexual health of young individuals. In her presentation, founder Karin Stierlin delved into the insights of the LEAN concept and its pivotal role in crafting Love Land. LEAN, defined as a mindset for creating value with fewer resources and less waste, is the guiding philosophy. The LEAN methodology begins with a cost-effective minimal viable product, rigorously tested with end users.

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MMS Conference 2024 Women and girls, minorities and the marginalized are most likely to have their images abused online. India has emerged as the third biggest victim of digital violence in the world and the biggest in the Asia-Pacific region. #digitalviolence can have severe consequences on #mentalhealth of girls and young women. Imaging the fear, shame and humiliation they experience when their private photos and videos are shared online without their consent. We must recognize as a society that online violence is a public health crisis that demands urgent attention!

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MMS Conference 2024 Since 2008, IAMANEH Switzerland and Counselling for Women and Girls (CLWG) have established a powerful partnership dedicated to eliminating entrenched obstacles to the health and rights of women and girls in Albania. Together, they have been steadfastly committed to breaking down systemic barriers that hinder gender equality, envisioning a world where all individuals, particularly women and girls, can access sexual and reproductive health services, and rights thrive autonomously in good health, free from violence and exploitation. At the heart of this initiative lies a commitment to safeguarding the rights, health and well-being of young women and girls who are disproportionately affected by digital violence.

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MMS Conference 2024 This project is grounded in empowering youth and developing healthy habits and lifestyles, aiming to incorporate Healthy Life Habits and Styles as a subject in formal education in schools nationwide. At the Children's Parliament 2023, confirmation was received from the Minister of Education of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina that this subject will be introduced into the formal education system. Young people (aged 14-19) are actively involved in addressing SRHR topics and combating GBV through community engagement and educational workshops and campaigns. The Peer-to-Peer club for youth (Be a Man Club) has created a safe space for youth in all their diversity and is leading the SRHR educational workshops in schools.

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MMS Conference 2024 There is a recognized need for innovative methods to elicit the perspective of adolescents on public health issues, particularly when addressing sensitive topics such as the impact of mining projects on their health. Participatory approaches such as “photovoice” allow for deep engagement of vulnerable populations, including adolescents. To date, no studies was found that have used photovoice to gain insight into adolescentsʼ perspectives in mining areas. In this study, we discuss the application of the photovoice method to understand adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in rural mining areas in Mozambique.

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