Growing Demand Exposes Gaps in Adolescent-Friendly Health Services

THABA-TSEKA – The Adolescent Corner at Paray Hospital is providing critical health services to hundreds of young people every month but staff and youth representatives say gaps in infrastructure, connectivity and access are limiting the facility’s ability to fully meet the needs of adolescents.

The corner currently provides services to about 457 adolescents aged between 10 and 24 years every month, offering tuberculosis (TB) services, health education, HIV testing and counselling, among other youth-friendly health services.

Registered Nurse Midwife Tšola Konote said while the centre continues to play an important role in supporting young people, the facility faces several challenges that require urgent attention.

He said the infrastructure is one of the major concerns, as the available space is too small and does not provide the privacy required by adolescents accessing health services. “The rooms are just partitioned, and this affects the privacy that young people need when they come for services,” Konote said.

He added that the lack of digital resources is also affecting young people’s access to information. “There is no Wi-Fi for young people to connect while waiting for services. There are also no computers, which means young people do not have enough access to information. We also need pamphlets that they can read and learn from,” he said.

Konote further highlighted the need for recreational facilities, saying playgrounds would help create a more welcoming environment for adolescents while they wait for services. He explained that because Paray Hospital is a Catholic Church-led facility, the Adolescent Corner does not offer family planning services.

Youth Ambassador at the Adolescent Corner, Boitumelo Nthejane said distance remains another challenge, particularly for young people living in remote villages.

She said some adolescents travel from villages located about two hours away, making access to services difficult due to transport challenges. “Young people from far away villages struggle to reach the adolescent corner. There is a need for free transport to help them access these important services,” Nthejane said.

She also emphasised the need for Wi-Fi connectivity to improve access to information and support for young people visiting the centre.

These challenges facing the Adolescent Corner at Paray Hospital were raised during a three-day mission in Thaba-Tseka by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Vodacom Lesotho Foundation and partners aimed at assessing the support required to strengthen youth-friendly health services.

UNFPA Country Representative John Kennedy Mosoti said the visit was aimed at ensuring that personnel have the necessary skills and resources to provide effective services to adolescents.

He said UNFPA, together with Vodacom as one of its partners, is working to ensure adolescent corners provide meaningful and youth-friendly response services.

“We have heard the challenges and needs raised here. We will look at programmes that can be upgraded so that young people can be taken care of in a way that helps address challenges such as child marriage and early and unintended pregnancies, which remain high in the district,” Mosoti said.

Head of Vodacom Lesotho Foundation, Tšepo Ntaopane, said the organisation’s partnership with UNFPA is part of its commitment to empowering young people and communities.

“Vodacom is celebrating 30 years in Lesotho. We seek to reconnect with Basotho and these visits are examples of how we are giving back by ensuring no mother should die while giving birth,” Ntaopane said.

“We are passionate that every Mosotho and every child live up to their full potential. Basotho should remain connected for their better future,” he added

This story is also published in the latest issue of Maseru Metro.