BUJUMBURA April 3rd (ABP) – The Burundian Association of Pediatrics (ABUPED) organized, on Friday March 31, 2023, its 4th Annual Congress under the theme: “Adolescent health, let’s build solid health for adolescents, let us build a healthy and inclusive future”.
The President of ABUPED, Dr. Alice Ndayishimiye first recalled that adolescence, from 10 to 19 years old, is a period of preparation for adulthood during which key stages of development take place, namely physical and sexual maturation, the acquisition of social and economic independence, the development of identity, the acquisition of the skills necessary to fulfill one’s adult role and establish adult relationships and reasoning capacity. According to Dr. Ndayishimiye, while adolescence is a time of growth and exceptional potential, it is also a time when the risks are significant and during which the social context can exert a determining influence. She was quick to point out that the choices made in adolescence can have a huge impact on health, whether immediately, in adulthood or even on the next generation. Dr. Ndayishimiye took that opportunity to clarify that there are diseases observed in adolescents. She cited, among others, diseases related to excessive alcohol consumption and drug taking, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV / AIDS and chronic diseases. She urged parents to keep a close eye on medication for their teenage children, explaining that discontinuing medication leads to complications or death.
Parents are also invited to dialogue with their children from an early age, to control them, to advise them, to know what they do, what they like, what they consume, their behavior and others. For their part, children are also invited to collaborate with their parents so as not to fall into traps. Care providers and paediatricians must also understand that a large proportion of adolescents are still under the care of paediatricians. She deplored the absence of psychologists in hospitals or other health structures when they have a great role to play in the supervision of adolescents.