President Luis Abinader announced yesterday the creation of the Cabinet for Children and Adolescents, which will be chaired by the first lady, Raquel Arbaje.

This Cabinet will be made up of the Ministry of Women, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Youth, the Progressing with Solidarity Program (PROSOLI), the National Health Service (SNS), the National Institute for Comprehensive Early Childhood Care (INAIPI), and the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic. The Cabinet is responsible for applying a plan for the prevention of early unions and reviewing the strategy for reducing teenage pregnancies.

Abinader instructed the Ministry of Health, the Attorney General’s Office, and Conani to update the protocols and strengthen the surveillance system for the detection, protection, and reporting of child marriage and early unions. The Ministry of Health must expand the coverage and quality of the offer in services for the adolescent population.

While Education must implement actions aimed at the permanence and continuity of girls, boys, and adolescents in schools.

Abinader indicated that a national campaign will be carried out with an emphasis on the local, involving communities, neighborhood associations, local rights restitution boards, and other community organizations for the prevention and eradication of child marriage and early unions.

The plan for the prevention of early unions will be formulated, a revision of the plan to reduce teenage pregnancies, “for its integration into a policy that unifies the government response to these problems, with technical assistance from the United Nations Children’s Fund. (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),” he stated.

In addition, an accreditation program will be implemented for people with leadership in their communities to stimulate the promotion of a culture of peace, equality, and rights. He said that the National Program of Comprehensive Health Services for Adolescents (Pronaisa), implemented by the Ministry of Public Health and the National Health Service, will be strengthened, “through which we are going to expand the coverage and quality of the offer of services for the adolescent population, which guarantees access to counseling and pregnancy prevention.”