Provide Tech Health Solutions for Nigerian Youth

The COVID-19 pandemic has been very challenging and may gradually reverse the gains and progress that have been made towards achieving quality sexual and reproductive health for young people. Young people in Nigeria may experience difficulty accessing health services because they may not be able to visit health facilities due to the pandemic. The high cost of transportation and the distance of the health facility may also pose a challenge. Other challenges are the cost of accessing services and poor financial/economic status. Through the Mobile Question and Answer Service, we are closing the gap using innovative technology to ensure that young people’s SRH needs are met on their terms. Your donations have helped us this far and will continue to help us sustain the service by  

1. Keeping the SMS free. According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey NDHS, the median age of sexual initiation among women is about 17 years. The MyQ and A service ensure that young people get factual information about staying safe and playing safe by ensuring that AYP can ask SRH questions for free. Through your donations that keep the MyQ&A service young people can receive information at no cost to them.

2. Making phone calls free. The MyQ&A hotline will remain free through your support. Young people can call and speak with a counsellor at no cost to them to get all the factual and non-judgemental information to make healthy choices

3. Training and supporting a counsellor to respond to sexual and reproductive health questions of young people. Your donations have supported and will continue to support the service to strengthen the capacity of counsellors to provide confidential information to young people.

Thank You!

The Coronavirus pandemic has halted many activities including the provision of quality sexual and reproductive health services in many health facilities. However, the sexual and reproductive health of young people does not stop for the pandemic.  We may not be able to hold community activities but we decided to be more innovative and resilient by using our social media platforms to keep in touch with adolescents and young people. We do not only provide SRHR information but we also provide information around coronavirus, debunking myths around the virus, breaking stigma and discrimination associated with the virus and promoting accurate information on positive living.

We also commemorated this year’s menstrual health and hygiene day using a WhatsApp conference, were young people both males and females participated through interactive learning sessions.  The learning sessions provided information about how to maintain proper menstrual hygiene during the pandemic while staying safe and acting responsibly among others. We also used our Twitter account to advocate for quality and safe environment for girls through an engaging tweet chat on menstrual hygiene and the way forward post COVID-19.

By the use of Facebook, we promote useful information on coronavirus and encouraging young people to have a positive outlook through the period of the lockdown and the pandemic.

For young people who do not have access to social media platforms or the internet, we also provided them with information about the novel coronavirus through Short Messaging Services.  Weekly we send out bulk SMS to users of the Mobile Question and Answer Service so that no one is left out.

For young people who wish to reach out to us via calls, our Hotline is also available for young people to speak with a counsellor to help them relieve tension, and have hope.

Adolescents and young people been curious and wanting to know more about the coronavirus have been asking us questions like

• If someone has sex with a COVID -19 carriers will the person be infected even they use a condom?

• Is body contact a way of contracting COVID-19?

• Can Corona Virus be contacted by any other place other than the face?

• Is HIV related to coronavirus?

We are committed to ensuring that adolescents and young people have access to accurate and confidential information. To make sure that this happens, all our social media accounts and channels of communication are being used to disseminate the information so that no adolescent or young person is left out.

Between March and April 2020, we have received more 46,000 engagements this include likes, views, shares and comments. We also excited to let you know that 136 adolescents and young people participated in our WhatsApp conference.

Our condolences go with all who may have lost a family, friend and loved one to the virus and during this period.

We appreciate every donor who has continued to support the Mobile Question and Answer Service even through these uncertain times.