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Progress in adolescent health in indigenous communities of Paraguay

Progress in adolescent health in indigenous communities of Paraguay 675 900 Fundación FRS

Actions to strengthen adolescent health in the Ycua Poty indigenous community.

 

Reaffirming the commitment that, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (MSPyBS), promotes access to adolescent health and the prevention of unplanned pregnancy, through actions that bring services closer to rural and indigenous communities.

Successfully! Along with the Sixth Health Region and USF Santa Rosa , in an extramural day held last September 15 in the indigenous community Ycua Poty, Yuty district, Caazapá department, benefited 75 people.

With the aim of strengthening the overall health of adolescents and families.

The following activities were offered during the day: 

  • General medical care.
  • Family planning services with the application of subdermal implants.
  • Pap smear and HPV test.
  • Vaccination services.
  • Educational talk on preventing early pregnancy. 

This work is especially urgent considering that, in Paraguay, the rate of teenage pregnancies is one of the highest in the Southern Cone.

72 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 (publication Socioeconomic Consequences of Adolescent Pregnancy in Paraguay – UNFPA 2019 ); that 1 in 10 indigenous adolescents between 10 and 14 years of age have given birth; and that the country continues to rank first in maternal mortality, neonatal mortality and unintentional adolescent pregnancy in the region.

The main causes of maternal death in adolescents aged 15 to 19 are abortion and toxemia, which represent 29% of the total deaths in this age group (Study on Adolescent Pregnancy in Paraguay, UNFPA 2017).

These activities are supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation ( AECID ), which, within the framework of the agreement “Improving access and quality of public adolescent health services with a focus on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and prevention of adolescent pregnancy (APP),” we developed to strengthen access to comprehensive health services for adolescents and the promotion of their rights.

These data highlight the urgent need to strengthen prevention and community support.

 Adolescent health is a right.

The participation of families and the community is key to building a healthier, more informed and inequality-free future.