JOINT PRESS RELEASE

With the help of technology sexual and reproductive

health information and counseling services become available to adolescents

1 April 2021 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia  UNFPA Mongolia  and Unitel Group signed a partnership  agreement to support a new online service provides sexual and reproductive health information and referral services for adolescents and increase their accessibility to adolescent and youth-friendly health services  through technological innovation. 

Under the agreement, an artificial intelligence-based virtual family planning coach, developed by UNFPA Mongolia, with the support of UNFPA global initiative on innovations, an online service “Mandukhai” chatbot will be promoted.

Mandukhai online chatbot will provide scientifically accurate information on the most adolescents seek for when they face challenges such as unwanted pregnancy, prevention of sexuality transmitted infections and referrals to youth-friendly services while keeping confidentiality. The service will be institutionalized and taken over by the National Center for Maternal and Child Health.

Unitel Group signs the agreement to provide over 300 million MNT worth of their products and services over three years on the promotion of “Mandukhai” online service and maintain the uninterrupted and reliable communication between customers and service providers under the framework of the company’s “Right Communication +13” social responsibility project.

Kaori Ishikawa, Head of Office, UNFPA Mongolia:

 “Adolescents don’t know where to access adolescent and youth-friendly health services. The unmet need for family planning, those who want to stop or delay childbearing but are not using any method of contraception, in the age group from 15-19 is 36%, which is significantly higher than other age groups. Meanwhile, 97% of them own smart phones, and have access to internet either via phones or school internet labs and spend on average 2 to 6 hours per day roaming Facebook. Therefore, the internet is the way to reach them.”, said Kaori Ishikawa, Head of Office, UNFPA Mongolia.

D.Enkhbat, CEO, Unitel Group:

D.Enkhbat, CEO, Unitel Group said “Adolescents living in remote soums and settlements have to travel long distances to get the health care services they need, and in many cases do not have the access to the services they need. The biggest achievement of the project is to solve these problems with the help of information technology.” Through this partnership, it will become possible to fully scale-up “Mandukhai” chatbot nationwide and assist adolescents and youth to make choices that will enable them to realize their full potential.

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