Delegates attend the opening of the 12th African Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Conakry, Guinea. Photo: Journal de Conakry 

NNA News - Guinea has called for stronger action to protect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and young people as African policymakers, health professionals and development partners gather in Conakry for a regional conference.

Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah presided over the opening of the 12th African Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on Wednesday, bringing together policymakers, researchers, health professionals, civil society representatives, technical and financial partners and young people from across Africa. The conference is being held under the theme "Sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and young people in Africa in the face of multifaceted crises."

Addressing the opening ceremony, Bah said Africa's young population was central to the continent's future, but its potential depended on young people having access to education, protection and healthcare. "Africa draws its greatest strength from its youth," Bah said, adding that this strength "will only fully bear fruit if young people are educated, protected and healthy."

He said early pregnancy, unaddressed violence and delays in accessing healthcare could interrupt education and undermine young people's future prospects. "Sexual and reproductive health involves several dimensions of public policy: it concerns maternal health, education and the protection of women, equal opportunities and the quality of human capital," Bah said. The prime minister also warned that humanitarian and other crises could make access to essential services more difficult for young people.

According to Bah, crises "amplify risks, disrupt services, keep young people away from health facilities and reduce intervention capacities," making prevention more difficult when it is most needed.

He called for concrete policies capable of producing tangible improvements in the health and protection of young people. Guinean Minister of Health and Public Hygiene Khaite Sall said recognising young people's rights was not sufficient unless those rights were translated into effective access to healthcare. "Health is no longer considered a supporting expenditure, but a strategic investment in human capital and in the future of the country," Sall said.

Participants pose for a group photograph during the 12th African Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Conakry, Guinea. Photo: Journal de Conakry 

She said Guinea's health strategy included advancing towards universal health coverage while strengthening adolescents' and young people's access to local, confidential and respectful services. Sall also called for commitments on sexual and reproductive health to be translated into practical measures so that reproductive rights would not remain principles contained in laws and policies.

The four-day conference is focusing on sustainable financing for sexual and reproductive health services, adapting healthcare services to crises, combating gender-based violence and strengthening young people's participation in decision-making. The meeting comes as African countries face overlapping humanitarian, climate and economic pressures that can disrupt healthcare delivery and disproportionately affect access to essential services among young people.

The conference is scheduled to continue through Saturday in Conakry.