By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Paga (U/E), Dec 6, GNA – Stakeholders in child health, protection and rights have called for concerted efforts to address challenges facing adolescents and young people to promote their safety, health, and sustainable growth.
The stakeholders, comprised of the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, traditional authorities, civil society organisations, human rights institutions and law enforcement agencies among others made the call at a durbar in Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.
The durbar was organised by Right To Play, a child centred advocacy non-governmental organisation, as part of activities to commemorate this year’s Adolescent Health Week and the 16 Days of Activism Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) under the theme, “thriving! not just surviving, building adolescents’ resilience”.
It was held under the auspices of the five-year Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project, being implemented by a consortium led by Right to Play in partnership with the Forum for African Educationalists Ghana, WaterAid Ghana and FHI360, funded by the Global Affairs Canada.
The project aims to advance gender equality by providing access to age-appropriate sexual and reproductive education and gender responsive care for young people especially girls and young women.
It is being rolled out in the Kassena-Nankana and Builsa North Municipalities, and the Bongo and Kassena-Nankana West Districts, directly benefiting teachers and learners across 200 schools and care workers as well as health volunteers in 87 healthcare facilities.
As part of the celebration, the project donated teaching and learning materials, sports items, hygiene materials including sanitary pads, laptops among others worth GH₡1.2 million to the beneficiary schools and health care facilities.
Speaking at the durbar, Mr Evans Akannue Atim, Area Project Manager, Right To Play, said the SHARE project was in response to the critical challenges confronting the growth and development of adolescents and young people, particularly girls and young women.
He said issues such as teenage pregnancies, early initiation of sexual activity, sexual exploitation, forced marriages, transactional sex, and contraction of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among others were still high and prevalent among young people in the region.
He said the situation was worrisome and required intensified advocacy and education to increase equitable use of gender-responsive Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights (SRHR) information and services by adolescents and young people, particularly girls and young women.
“Let us commit to empowering adolescents with comprehensive health education, enabling them to make informed decisions, strengthening systems of accountability to ensure that every act of violence is met with justice and fostering safe spaces where young people can thrive without fear or discrimination,” he added.
Ms Dora Kulariba, Upper East Regional Adolescent Health Coordinator, Ghana Health Service, said parents needed to pay more attention to their children especially their girl child during their transitional periods, adding, that period was critically to defining their future.
She also cautioned against mental health issues among the youth due to surge in the intake of energy drinks and substance abuse and called for strengthened regulation to address the situation.
Pe Thomas Aluah, Chief of Kazigu, lauded the SHARE project for empowering young girls and women in the operational areas, adding that it had helped to make the girls assertive which was contributing to reducing teenage pregnancies and child marriage in the area.
GNA