By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bongo (U/E), Aug. 24, GNA – Stakeholders in the Bongo District have called on parents to take responsibility for the upbringing of their children to help curb the rising cases of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people in the area.
The stakeholders, drawn from the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, non-governmental organisations, and civil society groups, made the call during a town hall meeting held in Bongo.
The forum, jointly organised by WaterAid Ghana and Right To Play under the five-year Sexual Health and Adolescent Reproductive Education (SHARE) project, created a platform for community members and stakeholders to engage in open discussions on teenage pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), harmful gender norms, and poor Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices.
According to statistics from the Ghana Health Service, the Bongo District continues to record rising numbers of teenage pregnancies and STIs, recording 238 teenage pregnancies and placing third among the 15 Municipal and Districts across the Upper East Region.
The stakeholders attributed the trend partly to a lack of parental irresponsibility, poor communication between parents and children, and harmful cultural practices and illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking at the event, Ms Monica Adongo, Acting Bongo District Girl Child Officer at the Ghana Education Service, expressed worry about the rising teenage pregnancies in the district, describing the situation as alarming.
“The parents are not helping because some parents do not even care when their girl children return home after going out, and they do not even know where they have been,” she said.
Ms. Adongo explained that her outfit, in collaboration with other partners, had been educating adolescents in schools and communities, adding that parents also needed to be responsible to help in the fight.
“When some parents send their girl children to school, they do not follow up to know whether their girls are in school or not. Teachers and parents need to work together to help keep the girls in school,” she added.
She said teenage pregnancy not only disrupts girls’ education but also exposes them to health risks, while STIs threaten the well-being of both boys and girls.
She therefore urged parents, who are the first line of protection, to play active roles in shaping the behaviour of their children.
Mr Donatus Awine Adua, a representative of the Development Research and Advocacy Centre and volunteer of the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET), described the rising cases of STIs as worrisome and encouraged the youth to get tested to know their status.
He also appealed to parents to monitor the movement of their children, ensure they remain in school, and support them with accurate information on reproductive health.
The SHARE project is being rolled out in Kassena-Nankana and Builsa North Municipalities, as well as Bongo and Kassena-Nankana West Districts.
It is being implemented by a consortium led by Right To Play, WaterAid Ghana, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE-Ghana), and FHI360.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the project seeks to advance gender equality and improve the health and rights of adolescent girls and young women.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Kenneth Odeng Adade