Tema, April 21, GNA – The Tema General Hospital’s Adolescent Center, has commenced its annual adolescent screening at the Tema Methodist Senior High School.
About 680 first year students are expected to be screen by the end of the one-week programme.
The programme forms part of the implementation of Ghana’s Adolescent Report Health project (GHARH).
In all, about 1,330 first year’s students of Methodist SHS, Chemu SHS, and PRESEC would be screened.
The exercise forms parts of entry requirement for students to undergo Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat and Dental screening, in addition to nutrition assessment, blood pressure, body mass index among others.
Lab test will also be carried out for students to ascertain sickling status, blood group, blood level, Hepatitis B and other likely blood related illnesses; Mrs. Naana Egyiriba Idun Acquah, Adolescent Focal Person for Tema Central told the Ghana News Agency at Tema.
She said the project was a collaboration between Ghana Health Service and Ghana Education Service, to ensure that there was a healthy adolescent population within the Metropolis and the country at large.
Mrs Acquah said this proactive approach will in the long run ensure a healthy adulthood that will increase productivity for the betterment of the nation.
She said “healthy adolescent will lead to healthy employees, which will lead to more productivity, since the phenomenon will curb ailment related absenteeism at the workplace”.
She encouraged teenagers to adopt a frequent proactive check-ups lifestyle and to desist from unhealthy lifestyle and habits that put their health in muddle.
“The youth should desist from drinking, smoking and must avoid junk food and carbonated drinks and adopt a healthier lifestyle like regular intake of water, fruit and vegetables and exercise frequently,” she said.
Mrs Acquah said sick bays had been established at the various second cycle schools in Tema, to counsel adolescents on reproductive health issues, sexual concerns and sexually transmitted illnesses.
She admonished teenagers who for some reason was not ready to heed to the abstinence call to practice safer sex, a move she said will weave off any unwanted teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted illness.
“I have several cases where adolescents are pushed into unhealthy sexual lifestyle by their parents and also mostly by peers,” she said.
She urged parents and guardians not to relent in nurturing the headstrong impulsiveness of the adolescent child and called on the government, health workers, church and the media to collectively play their strategic role to ensure that, matters concerning adolescents were properly addressed for a better Ghana.
Mrs Juliana Nancy Frimpong, Headmistress Methodists SHS, admonished health workers to continue to adopt a friendlier approach to dealing with adolescent sexual related issues.
She asked health workers not to pass judgmental comments, as a way to encourage more teenagers to be able to approach the various adolescent corners with their pressing needs and sexual related questions.
GNA