On June 16 in Marriott-Armenia Hotel, Levon Kiliketsi hall parliamentary hearings were held, which were organized on the initiative of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care, Maternity and Childhood and dedicated to the reproductive health problems of teenagers and youth in Armenia.

Vice-President of the National Assembly Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan as well as deputies of the National Assembly, members of the government, experts in health and education sphere, representatives of public, international and youth organizations and others participated in the parliamentary hearings.

Opening the parliamentary hearings Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care, Maternity and Childhood Mr. Ara Babloyan noted that the hearings were aimed at revealing the shortcomings existing in the sphere of the reproductive health protection of teenagers and youth in Armenia, and working out measures directed towards the improvement of legislation, stimulation of interdepartmental cooperation, realization of healthy way of life strategy of teenagers and youth. According to Ara Babloyan, 3 from 8 objectives mentioned in the Millennium Challenge Program set out by the UN Millennium declaration refer to the reproductive and sexual health.

Vice-President of the National Assembly Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan speaking on behalf of President of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan and herself greeted the parliamentary hearings and noted that the reproductive health protection problems of teenagers and youth have become an issue for Armenian legislative bodies time and again. According to Mrs. Petrosyan children and teenagers are the bases of the development of the society. The Vice-President of the National Assembly said that the reproductive health protection problems of teenagers and youth were both reflected in the number of international and Armenian documents: in the Armenian baby health protection 2003-2015 strategy, in reproductive health protection reform national program, etc. Mrs. Arevik Petrosyan expects that it will be possible to reveal issues concerning reproductive health guarantee of teenagers and youth, existing legislative and practical problems, reproductive health guarantee state in comprehensive schools.

In the main report Chief Specialist of Mother and Child Health Protection Division of the Department of Medical Aid organization of Healthcare of the RA Mrs. Gayane Avagyan presented the reproductive health state of teenagers and youth, the organization of medical assistance, the obstacles, the opportunities and the future actions.

Chief Specialist of the department of general education of the Ministry of Education and Science Mrs. Anahit Muradyan touched upon the realization of Healthy Way of Life education in the comprehensive school.

Representatives of the organizations responsible for the sphere and UN Children’s Fund made speeches during the hearings.

There have been made other speeches concerning the discussed theme.

Representatives of NGOs also participated in the hearings.

The chairmen of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs, NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport presented their approaches concerning the discussed subject.

In his concluding speech Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care, Maternity and Childhood Mr. Ara Babloyan expressed his gratitude to participants for discussions. He asked to submit to the committee in written form remarks and proposals concerning the issue hoping that they would be discussed and taken into account during the elaboration of the legislative amendments.