THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS


A review of Nigeria’s population index shows young people below 24 years make up about 60% of the population in a country with life expectancy at 52 years. This makes the health of young people very important. Additionally, an assessment by FMOH (2009) revealed a gap in access to adequate and comprehensive information to young Nigerians on their Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). One of the outcomes of this project was to reach more than 3100 young people with SRHR information. Having understood the target audience and how acquainted they are with social media, CWIDI decided on the use of new and traditional social media in advancing advocacy campaign because young people are increasingly engaging social media for health-related information. The adoption of new and traditional social media platforms such as  Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp platform, blogging and broadcast media – Radio,  as a medium in disseminating information on sexual reproductive health issues such as Menstrual Hygiene, Family Planning, Gender-Based Violence, Life Skills, Gender equality, HIV/AIDS, STIs, information on female reproductive health, etc. has helped raise the visibility of the project, build new cohorts of young people, engaged young and old people with the listed information mentioned above. For example, between the months of August (the project inception) and October; CWIDI executed an online campaign on twitter, adopting the use of hashtag -  #SexualReproductiveHealth. The campaign analytics showed that about 17587 persons were reached; benefiting from access to the information mentioned above. 


                                                     
In addition to this, the project continues to leverage on the use of twitter to disseminate the monthly advocacy stories. Because of this process, CWIDI was reached by the CEO of One Stop Demand New Zealand who requested for a partnership in advocating for menstrual and hygiene among girls.The partnership has resulted in distribution of about 2000 reusable menstrual-cups among young girls in Paso Gwani and Momo Sabo communities) in Gwagwalada FCT.


Moreover, these new social media platforms have helped to share sexual reproductive health information and key messages, engage, stimulate conversation, and respond to health needs of members on the CWIDI WhatsApp group - which has 200 active participants.  An example of impacting new reproductive health knowledge can be seen in the exclamation of a young female member of the WhatsApp group who said, “Wawu...my first hearing about menstrual cup” (see photo). Another example of meeting the sexual needs can be seen in the response by a volunteer of CWIDI to a male member who wanted more information on a sex-enhancing herbal supplement (see photo below).  

Snap Shot showing Social media engagement 

In addition, the photo above also shows that through our posts on twitter, people outside the country can relate with our stories, and are thus aware of our advocacy efforts, and identify with the efforts of CWIDI in promoting sexual reproductive health. These scenarios represent short highlight of several unmeasured impacts attributable to the influence of technology on CWIDI’s effort at advancing sexual reproductive health for young people.


Finally, by using a HP Sprocket photo printer, live-images of SRH issues was used to educate more than 1000 young people in the community. This is because many of these people do not have access to smart phones and are illiterate, so the use of images is ideal to support their quick understanding of the SRH messages. Also, CWIDI adopted the use of broadcast media - Radio to engage the Federal Ministry of Health on the need to draw out strategies for monitoring of implementation of youth friendly policies at federal and state level. This medium helped to reach more than 3000 people including policy makers’. In that regard, CWIDI is providing technical support to the FMoH in the development of New Adolescent Framework with a component in guidelines and protocols in providing youth friendly health services both in federal and state level developed.  
 



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