Tamale, Sept 12, GNA – Parents and guardians have been advised to prioritise the sexual and reproductive health needs of their children to aid their growth and development.
Bagzaa Naa Alhassan Issahaku Amadu, a Gender, Health and Development Advocate, who gave the advice, said home level information on children’s Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) were critical to the child’s development, adding it was parents’ duty to ensure their children led chaste lives.
He was speaking at a symposium organised by Curious Minds, a youth advocacy Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), in Tamale, to engage young people to discuss issues on their reproductive health needs and rights.
The event, held in partnership with the Ghana Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance, was on the theme: “Addressing reproductive health needs of young people; The role of policy makers in sustaining the advocacy.”
It formed part of activities towards ending a five-year “Get Up Speak Out (GUSO)” project, which was implemented by Curious Minds, and sought to empower young people, especially girls and women to realise their SRHR in their communities.
The project, which began in 2016 and would end this year, was implemented in some communities in the Northern and Upper East regions.
Bagzaa Naa Amadu said: “parents are the first stakeholders that can address the reproductive health needs of their children and so it is critical for them to develop cordial relations with the children to enable them to make inputs to their reproductive and other health needs.”
“A lot of children are living irresponsible lifestyles, because their parents have chosen to neglect their reproductive health needs, and it is important for them to prioritise such issues to help shape them to become responsible adults,” he added.
Mr Daniel Selasie, the Programmes Lead at Curious Minds, said the GUSO project had empowered young people in its implementing areas to speak against issues that infringe on their reproductive health rights.
GNA