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The World Health Organization defines adolescence as the period between the ages of 10 and 19, and the youth population corresponds to ages ranging from 15 to 24. Despite being considered a healthy stage of life, deaths, illnesses, and significant injuries can occur, most of which are preventable or treatable. During this phase, adolescents establish patterns of behavior, for example, related to diet, physical activity, substance use and sexual activity that can protect their health and the health of others around them, or put their health at risk now and/or in the future.
Adolescents and youth require access to relevant information on issues that affect them including healthy lifestyle. These include disease prevention, age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education, life skills, access to quality equitable, appropriate, and effective health services and access to safe and supportive environments. They also need opportunities to participate meaningfully in designing and implementing interventions to improve their health, including their mental health. Expanding these opportunities is vital to addressing the specific needs and rights of adolescents and youth. Various efforts are underway at both national and sectoral level to promote, protect and ensure the health of children and adolescents and young people. Some of the programmes focus on promotion of sexual and reproductive health, prevention of alcohol and drug misuse/abuse, and the provision of mental health and psychosocial support for adolescents in crisis or with mental health disorders. However, weaknesses and gaps regarding policies, legislation, planning, funding, monitoring, and evaluation still need to be addressed.
It is in this context that the Ministry of Health (MISAU), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH), the Ministry of Youth and Sports and its partners developed the School, Adolescent and Youth Health Strategy (2019-2029) and its Operational Plan (2019-2024), to address the overall health needs of adolescents by taking a broad and holistic understanding of the concept of health. This document provides the necessary strategic framework for implementing effective evidence-based interventions to improve the health and well-being of adolescents and young people. The strategy aims to contribute effectively to the fulfilment of the objectives and targets set by the government with regard to school, adolescent and youth health, informed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the various national, regional and international commitments, namely the Constitution of the Republic, the National Health and Sexual and Reproductive Rights Policy, the Strategic Plan for the Health Sector (PESS), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, among others. Advertisement
1.1 Objective of the strategy
To promote the integral health of children, adolescents, and young people in and out of school and to prevent disease by encouraging healthy lifestyle practices favorable to harmonious growth and development.
To achieve its vision and objectives, the strategy proposes four (4) strategic objectives that guide the different sectors and partners in responding to the needs of children in schools and adolescents and young people in health facilities.
Strategic Area I - Provision, Access, and Utilization of Health Services
This strategic area provides guidance in relation to the provision of health services at different levels, namely the health facilities, school, community and in humanitarian disaster situations, through capacity building and strengthening the skills of all those involved in the different key sectors, strengthening referral mechanisms for the provision of health services in accordance with the packages defined for each level.
Strategic Area II - Promotion and Demand for Health Services
This strategic area aims to stimulate the knowledge and sensitization of key players, adolescents, and young people to actively participate in solving their problems and seeking health services. On the other hand, through influential actors in the community, guardians, religious leaders, and masters of initiation rites, it encourages the promotion of healthy lifestyles and behaviors and the promotion of health services, resulting in increased demand from adolescents and young people.
Strategic Area III - Leadership and Coordination between different sectors
This strategic area reinforces the role of leadership in creating a favorable environment for children, adolescents, and young people to exercise their full potential in their community, thus contributing to the country's development. The strategy also emphasizes intersectoral coordination and greater accountability of each sector as pillars in responding to the needs of children, adolescents, and young people, particularly in the context of coordinating the Generation BIZ Programme. Advertisement
Strategic Area IV - Monitoring and Evaluation
This strategic area emphasizes the need to generate evidence for decision-making. It promotes the disaggregation of data and operational research to inform decision-makers in policymaking, the development of strategies and programmes that respond to the needs of children, adolescents, and young people, and in multi-sector monitoring.
1.2 Prioritization of activities, operational plan for 2019-2024
The activities contained in the operational plan for 2019-2024 are intended only for the specific components to be implemented to address adolescent and youth health. The responsibilities of the different actors in the implementation of the operational plan are described namely:
(i) Government: MISAU, MINEHD, State Secretariat for Youth and Employment, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, National Council for Combating AIDS, Central Office for Combating Drugs. (ii)Youth Associations;( iii) NGOs; (iv) OCBs; (v) Development partners and (vi) Academic Institutions and Media.
Objective of the consultancy
Overall objective:
Specific objectives
•Determine progress towards achieving the results expected in the operational plan for 2019-2024 of the National Strategy for School, Adolescent and Youth Health;
•Identify potential barriers and facilitators to the implementation of operational plan for 2019-2024 of the National Strategy for School, Adolescent and Youth Health and indicate necessary adjustments.
•Examine the efficiency of the plan's implementation, in terms of availability and application of resources, timely execution and institutionalization of processes.
•Analyse the existence, operationalization, and sustainability of coordination mechanisms for implementing the strategy.
•Identify the best practices and key lessons learnt from the implementation of the operational plan, and whether the lessons learnt so far require adjustments in implementation in order to achieve the expected results by 2029.
•Recommend specific actions that could improve the implementation of National Strategy for School, Adolescent and Youth Health operational plan.
Deliverables:
Qualifications,
Educational Qualifications
Advanced education (master's level degree) in Public Health or Social Sciences, or other related area
Experience
• At least 7 years of e experience in monitoring and evaluating development programmes and projects.
• At least 7 years’ experience in developing work in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health for Adolescents and Young people or similar work.
• Knowledge and solid experience of the latest methods and approaches for evaluating development policies and programmes;
• Previous experience in developing, reviewing, and updating programme documents and strategies and
Skills/Knowledge
Languages and level required
Fluency in reading, writing and communication in Portuguese
Intermediate level of English is an asset
