Rwanda's First Lady Jeanette Kagame Pleads for Protection of Adolescent Girls, Reports KT Press

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- United Nations - Rwanda's First Lady, Jeanette Kagame, says parents and communities need to discuss reproductive health with adolescents, in order to protect the young generation from sexual-related risks like disease, violence and unwanted pregnancy.

"Although it can be uncomfortable for parents to discuss sensitive topics, such as sexuality and reproduction, with adolescents, the reality is that it is no longer an option not to talk about it," said the First Lady.

Mrs. Kagame was on Monday addressing over 100 participants and 10 First Ladies attending a high level dialogue on maternal and reproductive health on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The First Lady said providing a complete education involves telling youth about reproductive health changes, why they occur and how to effectively manage them.

In her speech, Mrs. Kagame highlighted Rwanda's successful strides in empowering youths through providing the right information on sexuality and reproductive health. She cited peer education in school clubs, open dialogue and platforms that facilitate parent-children discussions on reproductive health.

"Through these different approaches, adolescents, especially young girls, have the opportunity to receive the right information, digest and analyse it, train their minds to be critical so that they know what is right or wrong," said Mrs. Kagame.

In 2004, the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), which Jeanette Kagame co-chairs, launched the "Treat Every Child as Your Own" campaign. In Rwanda, taboos surrounding sexuality have been tackled.

Mrs. Kagame also said Rwanda enacted a law that specifies legal marriage age as 21, to protect young girls from early marriage and its consequences.

The First Lady shared Rwanda's practices that reduced maternal deaths from 8 to less than 1 woman a day.

They include the maternal death audit, a system that monitors and investigates maternal deaths. A mother and child health week is conducted twice a year to raise awareness on breastfeeding and HIV/AIDS. 

Rwanda has 45,000 village-based community health workers. "Part of their duties is to follow-up on pregnancies, counsel mothers and advise them to deliver in the health facilities," said Mrs. Kagame.

The First Lady said 93% of Rwandan girls aged 12-17 have been vaccinated for cervical cancer.

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SOURCE KT Press