In North Macedonia, there are currently no specific legal provisions regulating the interior design or environment of health care facilities to make them more suitable for young people. Nevertheless, in practice, medical staff working in pediatric clinics and hospital departments often take the initiative to create a more welcoming and youth-friendly environment. Efforts include decorating spaces with bright colors, educational posters, and interactive materials aimed at making children and adolescents feel more comfortable during medical visits.

Occasionally, doctors and health professionals with greater influence in the community initiate fundraising campaigns, often in cooperation with companies, embassies, and various organizations. The funds collected through these charitable initiatives are used to improve hospital infrastructure, provide youth-friendly equipment, and organize recreational corners in pediatric and youth wards. Around the New Year holidays, humanitarian actions are also organized to collect gifts for hospitalized children in order to bring joy and support to young patients.

A significant step forward in establishing youth-friendly health services was taken in 2005, when the Health Education and Research Association (HERA), in partnership with the Health Home Skopje and with the financial support of international donors, opened the first sexual and reproductive health clinic for young people. A second center followed in 2006. Both facilities were developed following the “I Want to Know” model — originally designed to meet the needs of Roma youth — and offer free, confidential, and non-judgmental sexual and reproductive health services.

Since January 2018, the “I Want to Know” centers have been integrated into the preventive programs of the Ministry of Health, further institutionalizing youth-friendly health services within the public health system. The centers are located in Vodno and Shuto Orizari (Skopje) and have become a trusted space where young people can seek information and support related to their physical, sexual, and mental health.

Recognizing that many young people may feel uncomfortable visiting a psychologist or gynecologist in conventional medical settings, these youth centers offer an accessible alternative that combines health care, education, and peer support. Services provided free of charge include:

• Gynecological examinations and counseling (including diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, contraception services, and ultrasound examinations);

• Dermatovenerological examinations and therapy (including cryotherapy and STI diagnosis);

• HIV testing and counseling;

• Psychological counseling and support;

• Peer education sessions and educational workshops led by pedagogues;

• Distribution of condoms and educational materials on sexual and reproductive health;

• Counseling services for the prevention of drug use.

These centers serve as positive examples of how cooperation between civil society organizations, health institutions, and international partners can contribute to making health services more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the specific needs of young people in North Macedonia.