Health experts from the University of Hull are helping to tackle the health challenges faced by adolescents in Nigeria.
Funded by Research England’s Global Challenges Research Fund and in partnership with a Nigerian organisation that tackles public health challenges, FAYOHI, the team are sharing their expertise in Jigawa and Kano States to identify the health needs of adolescents and develop improvements to healthcare practice and policy in the region.
A recent visit to Kano in Northern Nigeria provided the University’s researchers with an opportunity to work with policy-makers, NGOs, health practitioners, academics, community organisations, and adolescents at a research event: ‘Promoting adolescent health in Nigeria’.
Video credit: African Independent Television
Addressing adolescent health issues – such as substance misuse, mental health, nutrition, personal/menstrual hygiene, violence and injury – is a priority in the region, which has some of the worst health problems compared with other regions in Nigeria.
“The situation there is critical,” said Professor Lesley Smith, who has more than 20 years’ experience in health research.
“In this region of Nigeria, one in 13 women dies during pregnancy or childbirth. Some of the reasons for this are that girls marry at a young age – the average is 15 years old – and consequently get pregnant soon after. There is a high unmet need for sexual and reproductive health education and family planning services.”