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A Review of Literature and Projects 2005
the skills to deal with sensitive subjects.
Such situations are lost opportunities
because schools have the resources and
facilities to make educational
programmes work.
(2) Informal (out-of-school)
education
Several other agencies, in both the
government and non-government
sectors, have started programmes to
address adolescent health. These are
carried out through youth activities, the
majority of which are community-based.
Under the AIDS Prevention
Programme, there is a special activity
targeting young people on how to live a
life free from HIV/AIDS using peer
education. Other agencies involved in
developing and implementing training
modules related to adolescent health are
NPFDB, the Muslim Religious Council,
the Malaysian AIDS Council, FFPAM
and other nongovernmental
organizations. Education materials
produced by religious government
agencies do not cover topics related to
sexuality and do not mention sexual
harassment. The products of
nongovernmental organizations are
often more creative and explicit when
compared with those produced by
government agencies. There is concern
about the availability of materials in
multiple languages, including Braille and
sign language, to ensure balanced
coverage for all ethnic groups and the
disabled. Another concern is the training
of teachers, trainers, facilitators and
counsellors to deliver effective sexuality
education.
Several training modules have been
developed for health care workers,
including one on health problems
commonly encountered among
adolescents and how to manage them, a
module focusing on mental health of
young people, and another on
counselling techniques. There is also a
document on standard operating
procedures for managing adolescents’
clinics. More innovative approaches have
been designed for education on sexual
and reproductive health. For example,
the FFPAM has developed the electronic
Reproductive Health of Adolescents
Module (e-RHAM), which will enable
wider coverage and a more current mode
of learning.
3.4.2. Services
Adolescents need a wide range of
services, especially health services. While
health care is the core function of the
Ministry of Health, other government
agencies also provide health care to
young people. In addition, many
nongovernmental organizations provide
adolescent health services.
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