The 3rd National Youth Health Indaba Gets off on a high note

24 June 2008

The Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, officially opened the Third National Youth Health Indaba yesterday the 23rd June 2008, on a high note. This Indaba has attracted more than 600 delegates from all nine provinces of the Republic and will end on Friday, 27th June 2008.

In her opening address, the Minister thanked the province of KwaZulu-Natal for hosting this important event in the calendar of the Department of Health. She implored the youth to; "design and shape their future so that they can claim to be proud South Africans. You should not allow anybody to define for you who you are."

"The cost of not investing in youth is staggering in the country. I am proud of the level of volunteerism that we are seeing in the country. Just last week, I participated in the volunteer work with young health care professionals from Khanya Afrika. These are young people who dedicate their free time to the service of the poor, especially the rural poor", she added.

The Indaba subsequently dispersed into commissions to discuss and make recommendations on the key issues affecting young people. The following recommendations were made.

  1. Socio-economic factors affecting young people: The high rates of un- employment and under-employment, literacy levels (particularly in technical subjects), economic dependency, etc are some of the key socio-economic drivers that lead to undesired and risky behaviour amongst youth. These factors affect young people at least three levels, i.e. health, socially (unemployment hence poverty) and educationally. Due to these factors we are witnessing the juvination of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), high school dropouts as a result of teenage pregnancy and the breaking of the family unit as a nucleus for social identity.
  2. Youth Health Friendly Services: There was an apparent ignorance of what a youth health friendly services should be. The youth committed themselves to play an active role to ensure the establishment/strengthening of youth friendly services at Primary Health Care level, especially in clinics. These will strengthen programmes around healthy lifestyles, poverty eradication and sexual and reproductive health services.
  3. Biotechnology as a career choice: Biotechnology is one of the critically scarce skills in the Republic and many young people do not have information about this career. This profession plays a significant role research, which could be of major help in finding vaccines against diseases such as childhood diseases, HIV, Malaria, TB and others. Young people recommended a multi-sectoral approach to encourage young people to take up this career choice.
  4. Disability amongst the youth: In South Africa we have 4.8 million people with disability. There is disjuncture in the understanding, definition and involvement of people with disabilities. This is due to the different causal factors that lead to disability, e.g. some are inherited, some as a result of accidents, others due to trauma, etc. Young people advocate for a vigorous awareness campaign to educate the public of different types of disabilities, discourage discrimination (due to religion, culture and customs) against those with disabilities, and advocate for families and communities to seek help for those with disabilities. It was also recommended that young people, in general, need to be educated in sign language, and Braille. Young people expressed concern that whilst the legal framework for equal treatment of people with disabilities exists; most employers (including government) still do not employ people with disabilities as required by the Employment Equity Act.
  5. Sexuality as a challenge facing the youth: The youth in this Commission boldly stated; "if we need the world to take us seriously we as young people need to start taking ourselves seriously, the journey to a positive change, healthy lifestyle should start today..." Issues around sex and sexuality have lost meaning and have become taboo in communities. Young people lack role models who can objectively engage them around sex and sexuality. With the rampant cross generation relationships, young people have been left with no role models as the elder men see young girls as potential lovers; and older women see young boys as potential lovers. Young people recommended that the family units need to take full responsibility for primary education and life orientation in sex and sexuality. The Department of Health should forge close working and programmatic relations with other departments in the social cluster and to adopt a holistic youth friendly approach to deal with these matters.

The Indaba continues today with emphasis on Youth Services to be presented by speakers from the National Youth Commission, Umsobomvu and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health's Targeted Enterprise Development Programme who will be presenting on Cooperatives. A group of 100 delegates will visit projects where they will promote the spirit of volunteerism. These delegates will visit Kasturbha Gandhi Primary School (Phoenix), Tholithemba Crèche (Inanda Newtown C) and FOSA Hospital (Newlands West) to start food gardens as a way of promoting healthy lifestyles and community involvement in food security.

The Minister has encouraged provinces, through the MECs, to organize provincial Izindaba in order to ensure the implementation of recommendations and to monitor progress ahead of the National Indaba.

Other delegates will be in commissions discussing Youth and Gender issues. The evening will feature cultural activities from various provinces.

Issued:
Department of Health
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health
Chris Maxon 083 447 2869
and
National Department of Health
Nombulelo Leburu 082 444 9503