Kaduna Takes Adolescent Health to Special School
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board has pledged to present students’ concerns about inadequate water supply at the Kaduna State Special Education School to the state government following a sensitisation programme on adolescent health, personal safety and hygiene.
The programme, organised with support from UNICEF and Society for Family Health (SFH), was part of activities marking International Adolescent Health Week 2026, observed from October 12 to 18 under the theme, “Nothing About Us Without Us: Power, Voice and Health Equity for All Adolescents.”
The theme highlights the importance of involving adolescents in decisions affecting their health and well-being, particularly young people with disabilities and others who face barriers to accessing essential health information and services.
At the Kaduna State Special Education School (KASSES), the sensitisation addressed sexual and reproductive health, mental health, puberty, menstrual hygiene, HIV prevention, bodily autonomy and protection from abuse and discrimination.
Speaking during the programme, Amos Isuwa, Head of HIV Counselling and Testing at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital and Consultant on Adolescent and Young People’s Health, urged students to speak up about their health needs and participate actively in decisions affecting them.
“Nothing happens for us without us,” Isuwa said, stressing the importance of empowering adolescents to use their voices rather than remain silent about their concerns.
He explained the physical changes associated with puberty, including hair growth and wet dreams among boys, while emphasising the importance of personal hygiene and maintaining clean bodies and clothing.
The session also addressed menstruation, with girls educated on menstrual hygiene, the proper use of sanitary pads and safe disposal practices.
On personal safety, Isuwa emphasised bodily autonomy and the right of every individual to personal boundaries and protection from inappropriate touching.
He encouraged students to report abuse to trusted adults, including teachers and healthcare professionals.
The students were also educated on HIV transmission and prevention, as well as the risks associated with unprotected sexual contact, including unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Isuwa further condemned bullying and discrimination against persons with disabilities, urging students to report mistreatment or communicate their concerns in writing where verbal communication was difficult.
He stressed that disabilities affecting speech, sight or mobility should never be grounds for discrimination.
The need to translate health education into practical improvements emerged during the question-and-answer session, when students identified inadequate water supply as one of their major challenges at the school.
Responding to the concern, Bilikisu Zailani, Adolescent Desk Officer at the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Board, promised to relay the complaint to the state government.
She said the board had a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) unit responsible for addressing water and hygiene-related needs.
“We are going to take this feedback back to the state government, and they will look into it and take action,” Zailani said.
She explained that the programme was part of wider efforts to educate adolescents across Kaduna State’s local government areas on sexual and reproductive health, mental health, personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene and gender-based violence.
Zailani said the outreach was not limited to special schools, noting that the team had also visited Dalet Barracks to engage adolescents.
However, she explained that special schools required particular attention because young people with disabilities were often left out of health education initiatives.
According to her, interactions with students revealed gaps in their knowledge of menstrual hygiene and mental health, making targeted sensitisation necessary.
The Senior Master, Welfare, at KASSES, Dr Joseph N. Yakubu, described the programme as beneficial and called for regular visits to sustain students’ access to health information.
Yakubu said the students were educated on personal health, HIV prevention and measures to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections.
He also highlighted the practical demonstration on the proper use of sanitary pads, particularly during menstruation.
He expressed hope that similar programmes would be organised more frequently to improve students’ health knowledge and personal care practices.
Zailani thanked UNICEF and SFH for supporting the programme, saying their contributions had helped make the outreach possible.
The sensitisation highlighted the importance of ensuring that adolescents with disabilities are not merely recipients of health education but active participants whose concerns inform public policy and service delivery.
However, the students’ complaint about inadequate water supply presents a practical test of the week’s theme: ensuring that adolescents’ voices lead to meaningful action.
For the students at KASSES, addressing the water challenge would also support the personal hygiene and menstrual health practices promoted during the exercise.
