The National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health’s initiative for young adults is the guide book on health, reproductive education and sexual health Pakistanis aged 15 and above need! Find out more.
We have often complained about the lack of life, health and reproductive awareness in young adults, adults and even the literate and illiterate. While we generally see parental figures struggling to cover the vast aspects of being a young adult in todays world and addressing relevant problems related to health and sexual matters with their children, we wonder will we ever be able to progress in those areas? Pakistan as a nation struggles with a high illiteracy rate among high child births, dowry, child marriages, malnutrition, deaths and various other challenges. For years, many efforts to mitigate these societal and health errs haven’t been too successful.
As the country grapples with an alarming increase in population, dying resources and a crippled economy – it is highly imperative we begin seriously educating ourselves and all those around us, be it our friends, family members and specifically our support/house staff. As a young adult and with many around us, we have a general consensus about how adulthood is more like unchartered waters, blindly walking through life with no guide as to how shall one transition from an adolescent to adult in matters of health, reproductive education, domestic violence, marriage, child bearing and becoming responsible members of the society. Pakistan is a highly youth centric country with more than 64% being under 30 but highly devoid of the knowing the basics for their life. We have come across a highly recommended initiative that we cant wait to tell you more about.
How Bakhabar Noujawan Came About
In 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took a Suo moto notice on the country’s alarming population growth under the Human Rights Case ( No. 17599). Consequently, the Council of Common Interest (CCI) was requested to further look into the recommendations and develop a plan of action. Once the recommendations were given in, among the eight approved ones, a prominent one was to include a pre-marital counselling on family planning being mandatory for Nikah (marriage) registration.
The National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health (NCMNH) has collaborated with its implementation partner, Association of Mothers & Newborns (AMAN). The two organizations have developed a course on Reproductive health for young adults, called “Bakhabar Noujawan” The platform is based on factual, science based information about various youth related life aspects and difficulties they encounter while growing up. The organizers have under taken a lofty objective to empower our youth to make informed decisions in all spheres of their lives.
Vetted Before Sharing
Today, we are not just sharing this article as a means to barely inform you of the cause, we have personally gone through the journey of vetting the course before sharing the details with you. The course is fairly recent though lacking media coverage and awareness on the internet but hopefully gains momentum. We truly, truly mean it when we say it is the most comprehensive, informative and relatable course all young adults/youth need to give a go, especially before their marriage. It covers a wide array of modules from population and its implications on reproductive health, periods, family planning, contraception, teenage pregnancy, child marriage, healthy nutrition, breast cancer and early detection, rubella and thalassemia screening, gender and domestic violence, down syndrome and chromo sexual anomalies, safe sex and STD, Nikahnama, and Dowry laws.
At Par With Global Standards
Anyone above 15 years of age can take this course online on the website for Bakhabar Noujawan. You can log in through your email or socials or create an account. Then you can go through the list of modules to enroll in one or more as you go. If you are wondering how you might not be able to spare the time, fear not. The course modules can be easily covered within 15-20 minutes each per module. The modules are at par with the standard of global web courses, are highly interactive, pleasing to the eye and engaging. The modules include quizzes, to ensure engagement, sharing real life stories, facts and laws and creative video presentations for a complete 360.
Endorsed By Ministry Of Health & Supported By Shehzad Roy
The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination has endorsed the course while recommending the course to be shared with the National Education Commission for students to be taken up in colleges and universities. Nadra may also make this course mandatory for the registration of Nikkah. Singer and Activist, Shehzad Roy, the goodwill ambassador for population and family planning has provided continued support and guidance in achieving the milestone. He is further hoping for the course to be deemed as a non negotiable for the registration of Nikkah certificates.
The initiative has sure caught our attention and we are so glad. It covers all pertinent issues our youth faces and rather should be prepared for. We recommend you to complete the course yourself and share it with your friends, brothers/sisters/cousins and everyone you know. This is a great cause and we should fully make use of it to help progress as a nation and encourage the efforts of the individuals and organisations who have worked so hard for this. You can also peruse through the pictures below for an even better insight into the course: Bakhabar Noujawan.
Jungle Mein Mangal Bazaar – NAPA Theatre Play Highlights Socioeconomic Perils
Source: Bakhabar Noujawan
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