Youths in Mangochi say they are finding it difficult to access sexual reproductive health and rights services at the district’s health facilities due to uncooperative health workers.
The youth have since asked district council officials to intervene to correct the situation.
The sentiments were expressed on Saturday at St. Augustine III Primary School in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mponda in the district where the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) organised a quarterly meeting between the youth and duty-bearers.
The meeting was aimed at giving the youth a chance to air out their concerns on pertinent issues surrounding health.
One of the members of Mangochi Youth Friendly Health Services, Corner Weston Mfunya, said they are at a disadvantage of getting HIV and Aids and other sexually transmitted infections because they are afraid to go to health facilities to meet such ill-mannered people.
“Every time we go to the hospital to access the services we are told to wait. When we remind them they start chiding us, saying we are naughty and sometimes send us back without being helped,” he said.
In his remarks, Mangochi Town Council chairperson Ibrahim Kacheya welcomed the petition, saying he will forward the concerns to the district health office.
CHRR is implementing a Get Up, Speak Out (Guso) project in the district. n
