A national consultation recommended institutionalizing the Volunteer Peer Leader (VPL) Model within Adolescent-Friendly Health Centers (AFHCs) to improve adolescents' access to inclusive, youth-friendly health services, particularly mental health support.
The consultation, organized by SERAC-Bangladesh, brought together policymakers, public health experts, development partners, youth representatives and government officials to discuss integrating the model into the country's public health system.
The meeting was chaired by Dr Syed Kamrul Islam, director (PHC & ITHC) at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and chair of the Technical Working Group.
In his welcome remarks, SM Shaikat, executive director of SERAC-Bangladesh, said: "The Volunteer Peer Leader Model offers an effective solution to the human resource shortages in health facilities."
He said trained Volunteer Peer Leaders provide basic counseling, essential adolescent health information and referral support, serving as a bridge between communities and health facilities through a government-approved training curriculum.
Md Nazmul Hasan, project manager of SERAC-Bangladesh, presented the rationale for the VPL Model, its key interventions and gaps in adolescent health services. He said the model improves adolescents' access to health information, basic counseling, referral services and adolescent-friendly healthcare.
During the discussion, participants said institutionalizing the model would require a clear implementation framework, well-defined terms of reference, policy endorsement and adequate financial planning.
They also noted that many adolescents remain reluctant to seek healthcare because of social and cultural barriers, adding that trained Volunteer Peer Leaders can provide counseling, health education, awareness and referrals while strengthening links between communities and health facilities.
Participants said initiatives are underway to establish Adolescent Focal Bodies at the upazila and district levels in line with the National Adolescent Health Strategy.
They added that integrating the VPL Model into this structure, supported by standardized training packages, implementation guidelines, policy briefs and financial analysis, would facilitate its adoption within the government health system. Gradual expansion of the model across all upazilas, they said, could improve adolescents' access to inclusive and adolescent-friendly health services.
Sharing field experiences, Volunteer Peer Leader Md Boni Amin from Barguna said VPLs receive foundation training on the National Adolescent Health Strategy, adolescent development, communication skills and group facilitation before conducting awareness sessions in schools and communities, encouraging adolescents to seek healthcare and facilitating referrals to health facilities.
The consultation was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, DGHS, the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), development partners, academics, members of the Technical Working Group, Volunteer Peer Leaders, representatives of government and nongovernment organizations, and members of the national media.
