THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA’S COMBINED REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN & PEOPLES’ RIGHTS & INITIAL REPORT ON THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA Most people opposed the idea of their children having access to medical treatment and advice on sexual and reproductive health without parental consent. The curriculum for the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education contains population and family life education taught to Grade one (seven year olds) to Grade twelve (eighteen year olds). It is through this subject that sex education is taught to pupils and students however the problem remains that all schools provide this class to its pupils and students. However, studies by GBOS show the need to expand the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health services and integrate adolescents and youth friendly services in a form of a “One stop shop” into the existing public health system. It is also important to collaborate with The Ministry of Education to revitalize age tailored, culturally sensitive, socially acceptable and legally sound Sexuality Education. Nevertheless, The Gambia Family Planning Association assists a number of teenage girls, treating them for sexually transmitted infections, offering pregnancy and HIV tests, and liaising with CPA, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Child Welfare Office of The Gambia Police Force in cases of abuse. Other NGOs, such as the Youth With a Vision and Girls Platform, also focus on adolescent reproductive health, teenage pregnancy and related issues. These complement the life skills programmes offered by the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education. From the 2010 MICS, adolescent fertility and early child bearing stand at 19 per cent and 118/1000 respectively. The Gambia Family Planning centre provides free contraception and advice to members of the public on sexual and reproductive health education. Measures envisaged to further increase availability and accessibility of age appropriate comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights education and family planning and contraceptive use are  Production of services manuals on adolescence and family planning for services providers  Awareness creation in communities using community radios and traditional communicators  Expansion of services delivery points (outreach services, clinics & health centres) in the communities to improve access to family planning and adolescent health services  Maintaining uninterrupted supply of method mix contraceptive at various levels of care including the community.  Making major health centres functional by providing Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric care services. 153