Situation Analysis: There has been high fertility rate among adolescents. About 21% of adolescent women aged (15-19) are already mothers or are pregnant with their first child. (DHS 2001). The survey also indicates that almost one in five adolescent women age 15-19 are already mothers or pregnant with their first child. The contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) is reported to be at 12.0% only among adolescents (age 15-19) while it is 23.4% among 20-24 age group (DHS 2001). as against6 7% and 15.8 % respectively in 1996. This indicates that the use of contraceptives by these age groups is quite low as compared to other countries in the region.

The 2001 DHS also revealed that 40.7% of adolescent's mothers do not receive antenatal care and the majority (85.9%) of adolescent's mothers deliver their babies at homes. A trained health worker assists only 13 % of these deliveries. There is higher incidence of anaemia hypertensive disorders, abnormal and premature deliveries and greater fetal demise in adolescent mothers compared to older mothers. NDHS 2001 reports that the significant proportion of maternal deaths (28.5 %) occurred in the adolescent age group.

Adolescents and youth are scattered in the community and they are also mobile. The risk taking behaviour of the youth and the situation of being away from homes in search of economic opportunities make them susceptible to contact diseases like STI/HIV/AIDS. The NCASC, 2003 reports revealed that the age wise data of HIV/AIDS infection is: 9% in the age cohort of 14-19, 53% in 20-29 age groups. The HIV scenario of Nepal reveals 62% of HIV including AIDS found in adolescents and youth group.

Moreover, 66% adolescent girls in the age of group of 10-19 years of age are illiterate whereas the figure is only 24% among adolescent boys. SRH education and services are high needs for these groups and in this respect particular emphasis needs to be on adolescent girls for this purpose, Government and NGOs are required to play a lead role for providing SRH information and services to these groups.

Apart from the existing situation as mentioned above, interventions for addressing the needs and concerns of adolescents and youth have been obstructed particularly due to the lack of clear cut effective policies and programs and failure to involve young people in the existing promotional activities; awareness or sensitivity among educators, providers of health and social services, religious and youth leaders and parents about special problems of young people; no involvement of young people in educational programs or services; unavailability of trained manpower for the provision of special services and resource constraints.

Strategic Direction: Access to SRH information, education and services to the adolescents and youth in marginalized, underserved and resource poor settings of FPAN's operational areas through gender and right based approaches.

Goal: All young people are empowered to make informed choices to improve their sexual & reproductive health.

Objective:

• To increase access to a broad range of youth & gender friendly sexual and reproductive health education and services.
• To strengthen commitment to and support for the sexual reproductive rights of young people.

Activities to Achieve Objective 1-To increase access to a broad range of youth & gender friendly sexual and reproductive health education and services.

• Conduct baseline surveys to create database on the adolescent and youth issues with gender & right based approach
• Conduct pilot testing on the use of service delivery guidelines, protocols and manuals
• Review and update existing guidelines and manuals with youth and gender friendly SRH components
• Produce BCC materials for utilization on SRH information and services
• Provide Knowledge and skill for young girls and boys to help/support in exercising their SRH rights
• Enhance knowledge and skills of service providers for youth friendly SRH education and services
• Establish youth & gender friendly service outlets
• Establish partnership with other organization working in the field of adolescent reproductive health at various levels
• Develop monitoring checklist.
• Undertake surveys/research to document lessons learnt

Activities to Achieve Objective-2To strengthen commitment to and support for the sexual reproductive rights of young people.

• Review existing laws and policies that affects the SRH of adolescent and young people
• Develop advocacy tools for advocating parents, community leaders, teachers, religious leaders on SRH problems of adolescent & youth.
• Conduct workshops/seminars for local policy makers to create supportive environment for the promotion of SRH rights of adolescent and young people
• Conduct community sensitisation program to disseminate information about the national laws and policies which affect the SRH of adolescent and young people
• Documentation of activities to share with other stakeholders
• Expand adolescents & youth programs
• Conduct joint programs with other line agencies working for the promotion of sexual and reproductive rights of adolescents and young people
• Involve young people at various levels of management and governance
• Conduct workshop and Press meeting for media.

Outcomes and Indicators: