Promoting the First Forum for Parents in Paraguay

Creating community dialogue spaces to prevent addiction and promote protective environments for adolescents.

With the firm conviction that adolescence deserves protective and addiction-free environments , together with the Sixth Health Region , the First Forum for Parents in Caazapá was a success! This meeting space was intended for mothers, fathers and the community to care for the health and future of youth.

The meeting , held on Tuesday, September 16th in the Governor’s Auditorium, brought together more than 100 families and community leaders to reflect and discuss the prevention of addictions in childhood and adolescence.

The main topics of the day were presented by Dr. Juan Jiménez, a psychiatrist, and Luz Aranda, a psychologist, both professionals from the Mental Health Department of the Regional Hospital. Their presentations offered clear guidelines for detecting risk signs and strengthening the protective role of families.

As an emotional moment, a young woman shared her personal testimony, highlighting the strength of family support and the need for safe environments for the development of children and adolescents .

The activity, which seeks to improve the quality and access to health services aimed at adolescents throughout the country , is part of the Adolescent Health agreement, implemented together with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (MSPyBS), and has the support of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID).

The forum provided participants with practical strategies for identifying risk behaviors early on , encouraging the active participation of mothers and fathers in the care of their sons and daughters.

The initiative reinforces the idea that prevention is a collective effort that begins at home and extends to the entire community.