By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Aug. 16, GNA – The Centre for Active Learning and Integrated Development (CALID), a non- governmental organisation, has engaged some members of the Northern Regional branch of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) on drug abuse and its harmful effects on their health.
The event, which formed part of this year’s youth day celebration, was organised by GNAD in collaboration with the Northern Regional Youth Network and funded by CALID.
Mr Sumani Bapio Ibrahim, former Northern Regional President, GNAD, who spoke at the event in Tamale, said the deaf community were confronted with disparities in employment opportunities, which undermined their holistic inclusion in major decision-making processes in the country.
He indicated that “Unlike our counterparts with other disabilities, the deaf people have very limited access to higher education and other employment opportunities.”
Mr Ibrahim said, “The disparities in skills acquisition and employment opportunities can influence the deaf community into abusing drugs.”
He called for policies and programmes that ensured the inclusion of deaf people in the development agenda of the country.
Mrs Samira Yahaya, Results, Learning and Business Development Manager, CALID, expressed need for government and other stakeholders to prioritise investing in the sensitisation campaigns against illicit use of drugs, especially among the deaf community.
She emphasised that “Inadequate information on the harmful effects of illicit drugs has lured most of them into abusing drugs, which turned out to affect their health.”
Mr Issahaku Abdul-Latif, the Northern Regional Coordinator of Activista Ghana, who took participants through the causes and effects of drug abuse, said the menace required a more comprehensive approach from all stakeholders to help safeguard the youth.
He urged them not to succumb to peer pressure but to remain resolute in their commitment to living a healthier and productive lifestyle.
Ms Issah Rahama, the Executive Director of Active Youth Global, advised them to seek support from medical professionals to make informed decisions on the effective use of drugs.
Other participants called on government to regulate the importation of drugs to minimise drug abuse in the country.
GNA