Issue
Government programmes in Bangladesh have reduced teenage pregnancies since 2017, but rates remain high. Many adolescents, especially in rural areas, still lack access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information and youth-friendly services.
How we are helping
This project aims to improve access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for marginalised adolescents in Bangladesh through a peer-led initiative: the Volunteer Peer Leader (VPL) model.
About the project
Adolescent pregnancy rates in Bangladesh remain high, despite progress in the reduction of teenage pregnancies resulting from government programmes. According to the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 24% of adolescent girls are either pregnant or already mothers by age 19.
Project partner, SERAC-Bangladesh, will employ a peer-led initiative, the ‘Volunteer Peer Leader’ (VPL) model to improve access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for marginalised adolescents in Bangladesh.
Introduced by SERAC in 2021, the model engages peer educators aged 18-24 to bridge the gap between adolescents and health services by providing peer-to-peer counselling and information on SRH rights and services. The added value of the VPL model in strengthening access to SRH services for young people has been recognised by the Director-General of Family Planning in Bangladesh. Building on this success, and to ensure the sustainability of the VPL model, SERAC will advocate for the integration of the VPL model into the national adolescent health framework.
This will be achieved by:
- conducting a needs assessment and feasibility study on integrating the VPL model into existing Adolescent Friendly Health Centres (created by the government at health facilities to improve access to quality healthcare for adolescents)
- producing a report with recommendations on how to best integrate the VPL model. This report will serve as a guiding document for engagement with the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) and other relevant government bodies
- developing policy briefs, information sheets and other advocacy materials on the benefits of the VPL model
- establishing a technical working group, including representatives from the DGFP and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW), to draft a formal proposal for the integration of the VPL model
- facilitating regular meetings with the DGFP, MoH and other key government stakeholders to review the VPL integration proposal and develop an implementation plan
- carrying out outreach initiatives to raise awareness of the VPL model among adolescents and encourage them to access available SRH services.
As a result of this project, it is hoped that marginalised adolescents in Bangladesh are more able to access SRH services and that there is increased support for the integration of the VPL model into the national adolescent health framework.
Project Partners
SERAC-Bangladesh is a youth-focused development organisation that is non-profit, non-governmental, and non-political in nature. Established in 1991 by a group of educated, dedicated social workers, SERAC was founded with the aim of improving the socio-economic status and living standards of poor and vulnerable communities, especially youth, women and children. The organisation works through capacity building, awareness-raising, group formation, and need-based problem-solving programmes by adopting innovative ideas and strategic communication. SERAC-Bangladesh believes in non-directive, bottom-up, participatory, and integrated development frameworks and acts as a catalyst with its beneficiaries.
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