Africa-Press – Angola. The First Lady of the Republic, Ana Dias Lourenço, reiterated this Tuesday, in Cunene, the importance of permanent interaction with young people and teenagers, through the creation of a platform for debate and support.
Ana Dias Lourenço made this statement at the end of the lecture cycle aimed at young people and teenagers in the province of Cunene, having highlighted that the action aims to change behavior, in order to become capable of dealing with the adversities and challenges of new times.
To this end, he pointed out the existence of actions and projects aiming, effectively, to respond to the needs and desires of young people and adolescents in the province.
He argued that youth constitute the driving force of the country and, with support and guidance from adults, they must become agents of change.
For this reason, he highlighted the need for them to believe, be persistent, resilient and united to find solutions that can support public policies, not only for the province of Cunene, but nationwide.
Regarding the lecture cycle, he said that it aimed to find a platform for sharing important topics about health and well-being so that young people have responsible attitudes and behaviors.
Among these, he highlighted those relating to health and self-care, in order to engage young people in searching for answers in the services available in health and counseling units, as well as through research using books and digital formats.
Along this path, he highlighted the debate on sexual reproductive health, pregnancy and early marriages, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, family planning and their implications for the mental health of adolescents and young people.
He added that the intention is to respond to several requests from young people, and therefore praised the capacity and desire demonstrated by the participants, becoming an example in terms of knowledge, training and mastery to deal with the themes presented.
For her part, the governor of the province of Cunene, Gerdina Didalelwa, expressed gratitude for holding this event, which has a great impact on raising awareness in society, particularly young people and adolescents, with regard to physical and mental health.
He mentioned that sexually transmitted diseases, early pregnancy and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and psychoactive substances constitute problems that deserve maximum attention from the family and society, as they present themselves as phenomena that compromise the future of young people and the country.
According to the minister, these are social problems that call for positive solutions, especially in the province that shares a vast border with Namibia, with great mobility of people of different nationalities, which leads to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases and the consumption of psychoactive substances.
As an example, he said that during 2023, Cunene registered 1,436 positive cases of HIV/AIDS, the result of 52,536 tests carried out, of which 861 began treatment.
Gerdina Didalelwa also highlighted that teenage pregnancy is a phenomenon that has increasingly intensified, negatively increasing the school dropout rate.
For this reason, he highlighted that the promotion of the lecture series will encourage a healthy lifestyle among young people, prevent diseases and awaken a feeling of personal and collective responsibility.
The mission to Cunene is part of the social and community programs that its Ngana Zenza foundation for Community Development (FDC) develops in Angola in favor of the populations.
Alongside the lecture, Ana Dias Lourenço visited the site to implement the integrated services project to support adolescents and young people.
For Wednesday, the last day of work, a meeting to review the project born free to shine is scheduled.
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