AdSEARCH organised a Technical Consultative Workshop on Adolescent SRHR
On 19 February 2023, a technical consultative workshop on ‘Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) and Well-being’ was organised by the Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (AdSEARCH) by icddr,b at the MCHD meeting room. The workshop was attended by eminent experts on SRHR from the Government, UN organisations, INGOs & NGOs. In the workshop, icddr,b researchers presented their adolescent SRHR-related works under AdSEARCH, and the experts provide their technical inputs on ongoing works and guidance for future research and programs. Dr Quamrun Nahar, Head of Research, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Division (MCHD), is leading the adolescent theme of AdSEARCH, and moderated the workshop. The workshop was graced by Dr Md Manjur Hossain, Programme Manager of Adolescent and Reproductive Health, DGFP, and Dr Md Shamsul Haque, Programme Manager of Adolescent and School Health, DGHS. Shams El Arifeen, Senior Director of the Maternal and Child Health Division at icddr,b was also present during the discussion. Followed by a brief overview of AdSEARCH, Dr Farah Naz Rahman, Research Investigator (MCHD), presented the first cohort study in Bangladesh that will investigate the SRHR issues of unmarried adolescents living in rural Bangladesh. Later, Fariya Rahman, Senior Research Officer (MCHD), showcased an innovation- the HopeBox intervention, which is a contribution for adolescent orphan girls to claim their choices to sexual and reproductive health and rights knowledge. Additionally, Dr Ruchira Tabassum Naved, Emeritus Scientist talked about ‘Balika Bodhu’, a social norm intervention to address the denial of sexual and reproductive health rights to married adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh. Discussants expressed their interest to collaborate and exploring innovative ways to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights and well-being at the workshop.
