The Philippines is one of only two countries in Asia, and one of seven worldwide, that saw an increase of over 25 percent HIV cases from 2001 to 2009 – according to a report from UNICEF. Contributing to this rate are drug users and people who engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners, many of whom are the youth.
To address the pressing issue on adolescent healthcare, ASSIST initiated Adolescent Health Education and Practical Training for Healthcare Service Providers Nationwide (ADEPT). Financed and supported by UNICEF, the project makes information on reproductive services more accessible to the youth, which will equip them to make more informed decisions on their health and welfare.
ADEPT also seeks to improve adolescent healthcare by bridging the communication gap between youth groups and adolescent health care professionals. To break communication barriers between the two groups, healthcare professionals are trained to avoid prejudices when working with the youth, enabling them provide more effective health care services.
The project will be implemented in four towns in the Visayas region: Borongan, Iloilo, Roxas and Tacloban. Healthcare providers and youth groups in these areas will be mapped through the PoiMapper mobile data collection technology in gathering more accurate data about the project’s key stakeholders, which will also help collect and make the data available to the youth.
A workshop in each city will also be hosted to identify problems faced by both stakeholders in the adolescent healthcare space, to ignite awareness on the importance of effective communication. The problems and issues that were found in the healthcare space will be addressed by providing a video-based e-learning tool kit for healthcare professionals to better engage with the youth. This will be complemented with a training-of-trainers workshop.
