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Home >> Regional Projects >> RHIYA
 The Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia

Adolescents and Youths (10-24 years) form the biggest segment of the population of Bangladesh. According to the 2001 census, nearly one-third (32%) of the country's population (total 132 million) is composed of adolescents and youth (age 10-24 years) and 45% is still very young (below 15 years). Despite this huge population of this category very little is known about their behavior and lifestyle. Behavioral research tries to explain that young people are curious and experimenting with their sexuality, making them increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, unplanned pregnancy, diseases (RTIs/STIs including the growing risk of HIV), violence, and substance abuses.


The EU/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA) emerged out of the experience of the project "Reproductive Health Initiative" with the realization that young people have different sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs and require programmes tailored to their specific needs and context. RHIYA in Bangladesh has been integrated with the 6th Country Programme of UNFPA, with emphasis on reaching poor and contributing to the HNPSP and IPRSP of the Government of Bangladesh.

The RHIYA commenced in 2003 and is being implemented in seven Asian countries including Bangladesh. The RHIYA in Bangladesh is primarily focused on the improved sexual and reproductive health and overall well-being of vulnerable and underserved adolescents and youth in the urban and peri-urban areas. The programme is designed to work through National NGOs with technical support from International NGOs. There are six component projects including an Umbrella Project Support Unit working for this project. These programme activities can be viewed by the web site - http://www.asia-initiative.org. The RHIYA in Bangladesh has been set-up in such a way that each partner has the responsibility for taking the lead role in one key area (based on the programme outputs). The following five main partner NGOs are implementing RHIYA component project in collaboration with two other local NGOs.

Strengthening community linkages for youth for SRH services - Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) is implementing this project in two urban areas based in Sylhet and Banglabazar (Dhaka). BDRCS is the Lead Agency in consolidating youth-friendly outreach services, including ARH training and models for upgrading youth friendly centres and 'adolescent spaces'.

Creating a better environment for SRH among the urban adolescents and youth - Concerned Women for Family Development (CWFD) is implementing this project in five areas: periphery area of Bonoshree, Dhaka, ward 22 of Dhaka City Corporation, ward 19-20&25 of Khulna City Corporation, parts of Gazipur, Tangail and Narayanganj Municipalities. CWFD is working with a local partner BWHC (Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition). CWFD is the Lead Agency for creating an enabling environment by contributing to the formulation of adolescent friendly policy.


Healthy lifestyle for urban adolescents and youth in outlying districts - Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB) is implementing this project in nine of its project areas in municipalities of Cox's Bazar, Jhalakathi, Khagrachari, Laxmipur, Magura, Netrokona, Panchagarh, Saidpur and Sunamganj. FPAB is the Lead Agency for capacity building among RHIYA partners. This has included a capacity needs assessment for RHIYA partners

Better SRH services for urban adolescent and youth - Marie Stopes Clinic Society is implementing this component in five of its project areas in Tongi, Narshingdi, Mymensingh, Moulvibazar, and Dhaka City in partnership with Nari Moitree. MSCS is the Lead Agency for ensuring quality and adolescent friendly clinical services among RHIYA partners.

Empowering adolescents on sexual and reproductive health decision - Save the Children-UK is working in partnership with SOLIDARITY, Unnayan Sahayak Sangstha (USS) and Young Power for Social Action (YPSA) in urban areas of Kurigram, Moulvibazar and Chittagong respectively for this component of RHIYA. SC-UK is the Lead Agency with MSCS in reviewing and developing advocacy materials (IEC and BCC) on ARH.

Umbrella Project Support Unit (UPSU) - implemented by UNFPA Bangladesh. UPSU is regularly monitoring the activities of the partner NGOs. It is the focal point for all RHIYA activities and is maintaining liaison with UNFPA Head Quarter, CU Brussels and the implementing partners in the field.

RHIYA is working for development of a positive change in SRH attitudes and gender sensitive behaviour and practices among the target population in urban and peri-urban areas. Thus RHIYA is designed to work for creating an enabling environment for youth and adolescents, by increasing the support among community gatekeepers and policy makers. The project is giving appropriate knowledge and life-skills to the target group, and increasing the availability of quality and culturally sensitive SRH education, counseling and clinical services. The project is also working for developing the capacity of the partner NGOs. RHIYA partners are regularly delivering clinical and counseling services to their target population through 60 Youth Friendly Information Center/Resource centers and 23 Service Delivery Points.

The project has done a baseline survey in its 24 project areas of respective partner NGOs and disseminated its findings. The baseline survey found relatively high levels of contraceptive use among young people. Interpretation of qualitative evidence from the baseline has revealed that in general, attitudes towards providing information on contraception are positive towards 15-24 year olds, but not towards the younger targeted age group (10-14). This reflects very strong taboos, both religious and social held by key gatekeepers on raising awareness of ASRH issues among the younger age group. For addressing the key gatekeepers RHIYA partners are regularly arranging meeting, workshop, formal/informal contact, observance of various national and international days and rallies.

RHIYA in Bangladesh has been actively participating in national level policy discussions on ASRH. The partner NGO CWFD has liaised with concerned ministries and contributed towards the development of the 'Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy' as well as ensuring that SRH needs of the young are emphasized in the Youth Policy developed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Altogether, RHIYA projects provided a total of 89,000 clinical and counseling services to adolescent and youth clients during 2004 and a total of 1,652 advocacy workshops and meetings were held with key gatekeepers including parents/guardians, schoolteachers and religious leaders. Partners (FPAB, SC-UK and BDRCS) organized over 4,000 health education sessions. In 2004 a total number of peer educator contacts among RHIYA partners was around 45,000.

As a lead agency for capacity development for RHIYA partners, FPAB organized TOT on life skills, basic computer, Internet training and a partnership development training workshop for all the RHIYA partners in 2004. SC-UK as a lead agency along with other partners developed a adolescent friendly BCC material, which is composed of five booklets highlighting five major issues: Our health, Adolescent period, Gender, Pregnancy and safe motherhood and RTI/STI & HIV/AIDS. CWFD is regularly publishing in collaboration with other RHIYA partner NGOs a quarterly newsletter named "AGAMI" for the youth and adolescents. In 2004 they distributed 15000 copies of 'Agami' (3 quarters). A Quality of Care manual for Adolescent/youth friendly SRH services and a Counseling package have been developed. Through RHIYA 10 youth and adolescent attended an International Youth Summit in Sri Lanka. RHIYA along with Global Youth Partners (GYP) arranged 'Advocacy Planning and Training Workshop" for the youth and adolescents.

The project is being monitored through a web based Project Tracking and Reporting System (PTRS). The project is also making itself visible globally through a web based Knowledge Management System (KMS).

RHIYA has received an assistance of US$2.40 million from EU for providing ASRH services in Bangladesh. The NGOs are also contributing 10% of the total budget. RHIYA is expected to reach 250,000 adolescents and youth from 24 sites, of which 17 are in the outlying district towns and seven sites in four metropolitan cities
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