MANILA – The European Union Delegation in Manila continues to advance the sexual and reproductive health rights of Filipino youth as part of its priority areas in the Philippines.
This was reaffirmed by no less than EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron who visited the beneficiaries of the EU-led sexual and reproductive health (SRH) project in Pasay City on Wednesday.
"For everybody to lead healthy lives we need easy access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information as well as quality education and affordable health care services. This is a priority for the EU worldwide and also in the Philippines,” he said.
The SRH project is being implemented by the Community and Family Services International (CFSI), a Philippine-based international humanitarian organization, in partnership with Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World).
It aims to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people aged 10 to 24 in Pasay City and keep them away from the dangers of unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence.
CFSI Executive Director Steven Muncy, for his part, reaffirmed the group's continuing commitment to work with stakeholders and the youth in Pasay.
“CFSI has been working for and with the adolescents and youth in Pasay City for nearly two decades. We remain committed to providing support to adolescents and youth as well as their families, especially services that are not easily accessible in the time of the pandemic,” Muncy said.
The SRH project applies a peer-to-peer approach in providing adolescent-friendly and integrated SRH services to youth beneficiaries.
During the awareness-raising session on HIV and AIDS, Véron also met with the volunteers who reach out to their fellow youth to promote health-seeking behavior and refer them to SRH professionals as needed.
Jenny Rose Torzar, one of the volunteers, said she values the chance of serving her fellow youth through the SRH project. Other mobilizers, meanwhile, said the peer-to-peer approach fosters a safe space for young people without discrimination.
The CFSI project started on Nov. 27, 2020 and will end on Nov. 20, 2023. It may be accessed at the CFSI Clinic in Pasay City. (PNA)
