By Godfred A. Polkuu
Yizesi (NE/R), Sept. 15, GNA – Mr Moses Liyobe Nanang, the Programme Manager of Mabia-Ghana, a Bolgatanga based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), says information on adolescent sexual reproductive health is needed to solve adolescent challenges.
He said such information would inform adolescents, especially those in school on how to take care of themselves during that stage of life, so they do not fall victim to the temptations associated with that age in life.
He, therefore appealed to management of the GHS to make publications on adolescent sexual reproductive health available on their website for easy download and reading.
Mr Nanang made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Yizesi, a community in the Mamprugu-Moagduri District of the North East Region, after he led some officials of the NGO to commission a refurbished and equipped adolescent-friendly facility for the GHS in the District.
Mabia-Ghana, which seeks to prevent sexual reproductive health complications, disability and disparity, took the initiative to refurbish and equip the facility that was originally constructed by Plan International some years ago.
The NGO, with support from the French Embassy in Ghana, also extended the same gesture to the Yikpabongo community where it refurbished an abandoned dilapidated structure attached to the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound and equally equipped it with furniture, medical and non-medical equipment.
As part of the project, Mabia-Ghana trained nurses, midwives and teachers on the management of sexual and reproductive tract infections, and how they could interact with adolescents in a friendly manner, to encourage them to visit the facilities for services.
Mr Nanang recalled that the GHS used to produce publications on adolescent sexual reproductive health in the past, saying “I am particularly referring to Infopack, which contains rich and educative information for adolescents, but is not available.
“The GHS says they do not have funding to print them. But why don’t they make the document available so that adolescents can even visit their website, access it and read.”
He said if partners could get funding to print, they could download them, print and make them available to the adolescents, but it appeared that the GHS was not willing to make the document available, and that was quite worrying.
He appealed to the leadership and staff of the Service at Yizesi to ensure that the knowledge they had acquired during the training programme reflected in their work, and the refurbished facility put to proper use.
Mr Nanang said it was incumbent on parents as key stakeholders in adolescent sexual and reproductive health to take special interest in the development of their adolescents by availing themselves to enable their adolescents ask them questions concerning their sexual lives.
Mr Abdul-Rahman Tondow, the Assembly Member for the Yizesi Electoral Area, who received keys to the newly refurbished facility on behalf of the community, thanked Mabia-Ghana and its partner, the French Embassy for their contribution to adolescent sexual reproductive health in the area.
Ms Rafia Moro, a pupil of the Yizesi D/A Junior High School, said the information received would help them to learn more about their sexual and reproductive health and expressed gratitude to the NGO and the French Embassy.
GNA