MANILA – The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) will lean on a multi-agency study to address the needs of the Filipino youth, especially on reproductive health.
This, after the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in partnership with the Australian government, United Nations Children’s Funds, National Economic and Development Authority and University of San Carlos - Office of Population Studies, announced on Tuesday the launch of the phase III implementation of the Longitudinal Cohort Study on the Filipino Child (LCFSC).
CPD deputy executive director Lolito Tacardon said in a statement Tuesday that they fully back the initiative as it will help them formulate plans and strategies in addressing the concerns of the Filipino youth.
"It provides vital data as basis for developing more appropriate and efficient interventions in addressing concerns about young people, including those related to their reproductive health," Tacardon said.
Ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on Wednesday, UNFPA country representative Dr. Leila Joudane stressed the importance of investing in the health, education and well-being of adolescent girls.
"We are at that crucial point in time when the children covered by the study are going through the tumultuous and crucial period of adolescence, when they develop knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships, and acquire abilities that will be important for them as they become productive members of society,” Jordane said in a statement.
She vowed to work closely with the Philippine government and other development partners to use the data and information from the study to reduce the structural barriers to services for adolescents and to address factors that cause high rates of adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, mental health disorders, and violence against young women.
The LCFSC tracks the development of Filipino children over 15 years following the same group of 5,000 children from age 10 in 2016 until the end of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030. (PNA)
