Health counseling centre for youngsters opens in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): A first-ever health counseling centre for youngsters and teenagers was inaugurated at Dasht-i-Barchi 50-bed hospital in central capital Kabul on Wednesday.

Dr. Najia Tariq, deputy public health minister for services delivery, at the inaugural ceremony, said the purpose behind the health counseling centre was to resolve issues conceing health, social, cultural and gender problems of young people.

“There are youth in Afghanistan who feel shame in sharing problems with their families suffer from and this creates different kinds of difficulties for youngsters.”

She said the centre’s establishment was a positive step towards resolving such issues of the youth.

Counseling at the centre was confidential and its privacy kept reserved by the centre’s in-charges, she said.

She said youth formed the core of a country and all the organizations conceed should make efforts at improving their situation.

Tariq said Afghanistan was among countries whose population was rapidly increasing.

Dr. Kamal Nasir, deputy Information and Culture Minister for youth affairs, also hailed the establishment of the centre as a positive step in development of families’ organization and addressing issues of youth.

“Youngsters who need advice in the fields of health, psychology and legal rights can come to the centre and resolve their issues.”

He said the youth who wanted their issues to be resolved should contact the centre on 120 phone number without any charges and share their problems with advisors sitting at the centre.

UNFPA country director in Afghanistan Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, who has the responsibility of ruing financial expenses of the centre, said providing the new generation with sufficient information and resolving their problems strengthened a society and brought about a healthy society.

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