Bolgatanga, July 8, GNA – Ms Priscilla Nyaaba, the Executive Director of The Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana (YHFG), a youth-focused Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Bolgatanga has called on the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to intensify reproductive health education in the Region to prevent teenage pregnancies.
According to the NGO, the provision of accurate and reproductive health education should not be left to parents alone and called for collective responsibility of parents, teachers, health professionals and community leaders.
Speaking at a meeting with Dr Josephat Nyuzaghl, the Upper East Deputy Regional Director of the GHS in charge of Public Health at the Regional Health Directorate in Bolgatanga, Ms Priscilla Nyaaba, the Executive Director of YHFG, said her outfit had over the years partnered the GHS in all its projects related to reproductive health education, “This relationship has been cordial and has contributed to achieving project outcomes with the support of nurses at implementing Districts.”
The meeting was intended to strengthen the cordial relationship between the NGO and the GHS, and to further collaborate to promote and enhance reproductive health education in the Region.
Ms Nyaaba expressed concern about the rate of teenage pregnancy in the country, especially in the era of COVID-19, which had compelled teenagers to stay away from school, saying such a critical issue should not be left for only NGOs, as collaboration with state institutions would help achieve collective goals.
The Executive Director noted that COVID-19 was negatively impacting on the education and health of girls, and appealed to the GHS in the Region to use its mandate to advocate reproductive health education for young people, insisting such responsibility should not be left for NGOs alone since collaboration with state institutions would help achieve a collective goal.
Ms Nyaaba acknowledged the efforts of the GHS in providing youth friendly health services to young people in the Region, and reiterated her outfit’s call for intensified efforts in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Responding to the call on behalf of the GHS, Dr Nyuzaghl, expressed appreciation to YHFG for its work in the Region and said the GHS had over the years educated members of the public and stakeholders on the need heed to reproductive health education.
He said the Service would continue to carry out its mandate, and gave the assurance that the GHS would collaborate with YHFG to improve health care delivery and reproductive health education in the Region.
As part of the meeting, the NGO which operates in the Bongo, Nabdam, Talensi, Bawku West Kassena-Nankana West and Builsa North Districts, with support from Mundo Cooperante, Riksförbundet för Sexuell Upplysning (RFSU) and UNICEF, presented medical and non-medical consumables to the GHS to fight COVID-19 in the Region.
GNA