The 2025 International Adolescent Health Week (IAHW), observed globally from October 13–19, is a dedicated period to raise awareness and mobilize action toward improving the physical, mental, and social well-being of adolescents. The week seeks to empower young people, amplify their voices, and foster multi-sectoral collaboration that ensures equitable access to health information and services.
Each year, IAHW highlights critical issues affecting adolescents, including mental health, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, substance abuse prevention, digital well-being, and access to youth-friendly healthcare. The 2025 theme, “Strengthening Adolescent Physical and Mental Health,” underscores the urgent need to create safe, inclusive, and supportive environments where adolescents can thrive, make informed choices, and transition smoothly into adulthood.
In commemoration of this year’s observance, the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board (OYPHCB) organized a Stakeholders’ Engagement Session that convened government agencies, civil society organizations, development partners, youth networks, and health professionals. The forum provided a platform to share progress, align strategies, and strengthen collaborative efforts toward improving adolescent health outcomes in Oyo State and beyond.
PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation) was ably represented by its Advocacy, Strategic Communication, and Media (ASCM) Officer, Mrs Ifedayo Osemwegie, who contributed meaningfully to discussions on strengthening adolescent-responsive health systems. During the session, she highlighted the organization’s ongoing projects designed to improve adolescent health, well-being, and empowerment.
Among its flagship projects is the ACCESS Project (Accelerating Community Commitment Towards Expanding Sexual and Reproductive Health Services), funded by AmplifyChange. Through ACCESS Project, PLAN Foundation has mobilized capacity-building initiatives, youth-friendly service delivery, and school-based interventions. One of its signature activities was a three-day workshop for teachers and healthcare workers focused on equipping them to deliver Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and adolescent-responsive Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services.
In her presentation, the ASCM Officer described how these projects are transforming lives: adolescents are being engaged in meaningful dialogue about their bodies, relationships, and mental health; local health facilities are being strengthened to serve youth with dignity and confidentiality; and community norms are gradually shifting toward greater openness and support for adolescent well-being.
The ACCESS Project remains a transformative intervention that enhances adolescents’ access to quality SRH information and services, while promoting mental health awareness, gender equity, and life skills development. Through this project, PLAN Foundation has reached hundreds of adolescents across communities with capacity-building sessions, peer education, and community dialogues that promote informed decision-making, body autonomy, and responsible health-seeking behavior.
Parallel to this, PLAN Foundation has taken a bold step into sport for development. In 2025, the organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FC Peridot Academy, a youth football academy in Ibadan, to merge the positive influence of football with health education. Football, in this context, becomes more than a game, it becomes a platform to reach adolescents with life skills, SRH awareness, drug abuse prevention, and mental health resilience. Through this collaboration, PLAN Foundation aims to nurture not only better athletes but also healthier, informed, and resilient youth.
From training teachers and health workers to bringing health conversations onto the football pitch, PLAN Foundation’s approach is holistic, community-rooted, and youth-centered. The organization believes adolescents deserve more than isolated interventions; they deserve comprehensive support systems that address their physical, emotional, and social needs.
The ASCM Officer’s presentation at the stakeholders’ meeting concluded with a clear call to action, reaffirming PLAN Foundation’s commitment to empowering adolescents with knowledge, resilience, and caring systems that support their transition from childhood to adulthood. Together with partners, PLAN Foundation remains steadfast in advancing adolescent physical and mental well-being across communities.
Ifedayo Osemwegie,
Advocacy, Social Mobilization and Media Officer,
PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation),
Ibadan, Nigeria
+2348038320421
ifedayo@planfoundation.org.ng
PLAN Foundation is a member of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the World Patients Alliance (WPA), the International AIDS Society (IAS), the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the Stop TB Partnership, the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IUATLD), the Global Health Council (GHC), as well as various other relevant regional and global networks, movements, and professional associations aligned with its vision of a Nigeria where the individual, family, and community are adequately empowered to protect themselves against poverty, underdevelopment, and the spread of diseases.
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