By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu
Seva (V/R), Dec. 31, GNA – The Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has held an adolescent reproductive health and family planning programme for residents of Seva in the Volta Region.
The initiative aimed at promoting good adolescent reproductive health, reducing teenage pregnancy, and encouraging family planning among women to curb unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Madam Richel Nutsifafa Adzogble, a Midwife Nurse with PPAG, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the programme focused on proper birth control methods, sex education, and empowering young girls to speak out against intimidation, sexual harassment, and sexually transmitted diseases.
She said the exercise, sponsored by UNFPA, was being conducted across the region to strengthen parent-child relationships and promote positive sexual and reproductive health outcomes for adolescents.
Madam Adzogble described PPAG as Ghana’s leading non-governmental organisation working in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with a focus on addressing teenage pregnancy and promoting healthy reproductive practices.
She urged parents to play active roles in providing adolescents with comprehensive sexual education and access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.
“The programme promotes open discussions on reproductive health and family planning, and we encourage residents to prioritise adolescent health and well-being,” she said.
She noted that UNFPA, the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, is committed to ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Madam Adzogble added that UNFPA focuses on reproductive rights, gender equality, and population data to fight poverty and promote dignity, commending the organisation for supporting initiatives that address challenges affecting adolescents and women.
She said UNFPA’s core mission includes ensuring access to family planning, safe pregnancy, and maternal health services, as well as ending preventable maternal deaths and unmet needs for contraception.
The organisation also works to combat gender-based violence, child marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), while empowering women and girls through education and advocacy.
Madam Margaret Dovlo, a Public Health Nurse at the Keta Municipal Health Directorate, in her address, stressed the importance of family planning for sexually active women and girls, noting its role in birth spacing and improved maternal and child health.
She explained that family planning reduces pregnancy-related health risks, prevents high-risk pregnancies, and enables women to pursue education and employment opportunities.
Madam Dovlo added that proper birth spacing contributes to healthier children through improved nutrition, healthcare, and parental attention, thereby reducing infant mortality rates.
She commended PPAG and UNFPA for advocating appropriate birth control methods, providing free health screening, and offering sex education to adolescents to enhance overall community health.
Some participants who spoke to the GNA expressed appreciation for the programme, describing it as an impactful intervention that would positively shape the lives of young girls and women in the community.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Audrey Dekalu