Youth Friendly Health Services

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as the period of life between 10 and 19 years of age. Adolescent medicine is a complex of preventive, counseling and diagnostic services directed at health problems specific to adolescence. The above-mentioned problems might be related to general pediatrics, mental health, endocrinology, gynecology, nutrition and other fields of medicine.  

Youth Friendly Health Services (YFHS) are the ones that respond positively to young people’s needs for correct and up-to-date information, and provide a full range of accessible and affordable services and quality care in the most appropriate way for young people. This includes an environment that guarantees privacy and confidentiality for the young person and services provided by non judgmental professional staff (trained in adolescent health and development and youth friendly approaches), so that young people can make free and informed choices about their health and sexuality.

YFHS includes the following seven components:

  • Health promotion: prevention, early detection and corresponding management  and treatment,
  • General counselling as well as counselling on  Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Counselling on HIV
  • Counselling on sexual and domestic abuse
  • Provision of Mental Health services
  • Counselling on Drug and alcohol abuse
  • Promotion of healthy life style through providing information and counselling on a range of issues: sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, hygiene, substance use, etc.

YFHS/ Adolescent health department is the unique one in Armenia. It was established in 2005. The following activities have been implemented since 2005:

  • Adaptation of WHO Orientation Program on Adolescents Health
  • Training of medical staff based on OP program in 2005 -2006
  • Development of draft standards of YFHS (2006)
  • Comprehensive analysis of legislation related to AH (2006)
  • Approbation of standards in 3 pilot sites
  • Equipping and furnishing of the YFHS in 3 pilot sites
  • Raising awareness campaign (number of TV programs, development of thematic booklets and posters for adolescents)
  • Development of teaching modules on Adolescent health for medical students, doctors and nurses
  • Introduction of AH basic principles into curriculum of Health Educational Institutions
  • Inclusion of AH issues in the National Strategy on Child and Adolescent Health for 2009-2015.

Our Staff

Our staff members have been trained in Switzerland, Austria, Saint-Petersburg, participated in international conferences and seminars.

Our staff are:

Dr. Marina Melkumova, MD
Dr. Eva Movsesyan, MD
Dr. Sergey Sargsyan, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Service Adviser

Our Publications

  • Babloyan A, Sargsyan S, Movsesyan Y., Melkumova M, School-based Health Survey Report, Yerevan, UNICEF, Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, 2005.
  • Babloyan A, Sargsyan N, Sargsyan S et al. The Concept Paper of Youth-Friendly Health Services in Armenia (arm/engl). Ministry of Health / UNICEF, Yerevan, Armenia, 2005.
  • Oskanyan N., Gharakhanyan N, Sargsyan S etc. Adolescent Health, Handbook for Pupils, 2006
    Babloyan A, Sargsyan S, Movsesyan Y., Melkumova M   Crucial Elements of Behavioral habits among Armenian adolescents,  14 European Congress of Public Health, Montreux, Switzerland
  • Babloyan A., Sargsyan S., Melkumova M., Movsesyan Y, Adolescent Health in Armenia;  13th Congress of International Association of Adolescent Medicine, Abstract supplement., St. Petersburg, Russia, 2007, p 12.
  • Babloyan A, Sargsyan S, Yeghiyan M et al, Armenia: Experiences of Country in Transition (engl). In the WHO Case Study “Social Cohesion in Adolescent Mental Health”, 2007
  • Babloyan A., Sargsyan S., Melkumova M., Movsesyan Y, Adolescent Health Sevices as a Basic Component of Adolescent Health, Second Medical Congress of Armenia, Yerevan,, 2007, p.46
  • Babloyan A., Sargsyan S.,, Saribekyan K., Melkumova M., Movsesyan Y,   Child and Adolescent Health in Armenia, The New Armenian Medical Journal, 2008
  • Babloyan A., Sargsyan S., Ghazaryan A etc Adolescent Health and Development, Handbook for doctors and students, Yerevan, 2008
  • National Strategy on Child and Adolescent Health for 2009-2015.
  • National Strategy on Reproductive Health for 2007-2015.

Collaboration

We cooperate with
Saint- Petersburg International Academy of Postgraduate Education
Yuventa Medical Center for adolescents
HBSC International Network
EUTEACH, Lausanne, Switzerland
International Children's Centre (ICC), Turkey

Patient Information

For an outpatient appointment, call: (37410) 236 030
Address: 30 Mamikonyants str., Yerevan 0014