The National Youth Authority (NYA), in partnership with UNICEF, is rolling out a youth engagement programme in the Central Tongu District aimed at equipping adolescents with information and support to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
The initiative, introduced during an inception and stakeholder meeting at Adidome, will combine Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) education with Youth Engagement Centres (YECs) to provide young people with access to counselling, guidance and other support services.
Ms Melody Enam Bedi, Public Health Officer of the Ghana Health Service in Central Tongu, said the initiative was timely as the district continued to face concerns relating to adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
She said providing adolescents with accurate information, counselling, screening and access to adolescent-friendly health services was important in helping them make responsible decisions.
Ms Bedi said the Ghana Health Service was already providing adolescent health services and counselling at CHPS compounds across the district and would continue collaborating with stakeholders to improve outcomes.
Mr Yao Semoade, Volta Regional Director of the NYA, said the programme was designed to create a supportive environment in which young people could acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to navigate adolescence and prepare for adulthood.
He said adolescents were often influenced by peers and wider societal pressures, making access to appropriate information, guidance and support essential.
According to him, the Youth Engagement Centres would provide safe spaces where young people could discuss their concerns and experiences without fear of judgement.
He said the centres would also provide opportunities for counselling and productive activities that could help young people channel their energies positively.
Mr Semoade explained that the stakeholder meeting was intended to gather information from the district to ensure that the programme was tailored to the actual needs of young people.
The ASRH programme, which will run from 2026 to 2028, will also seek to strengthen adolescents’ knowledge, skills and agency while promoting youth participation in policy engagement, budget consultations and public financial accountability.
Mr Selorm Kwadzo Aklasu-Aho, Regional Programmes Officer of the NYA, said the programme would focus on making Youth Engagement Centres safe, accessible and responsive to the needs of young people.
He said the initiative would make use of existing facilities rather than focusing exclusively on constructing new centres.
He explained that assessments would cover physical infrastructure, digital access, staffing, safety, governance and partnerships.
Mr Aklasu-Aho stressed that a Youth Engagement Centre should not be regarded simply as a physical structure, saying its success would depend on whether young people could access the services, feel safe and trust the systems in place.
He said digital options would also be explored to extend services to young people living far from physical centres, those facing transportation difficulties and others who preferred remote access to information and referrals.
The programme will involve mapping existing facilities, assessing their readiness, identifying gaps, preparing district-level improvement plans and strengthening youth participation in the design and monitoring of services.
Mr Addison Dodzi Mornyuie, District Chief Executive for Central Tongu, described the engagement as important to ensuring that young people were meaningfully involved in development processes.
He urged participants to share information from the meeting with their respective communities and groups, including Muslim communities, Okada riders and youth organisations, to broaden the programme’s reach.
Representatives of the Police Service, Ghana Health Service, Assembly Members, youth groups, Okada riders, persons with disabilities, the Muslim community and other stakeholders participated in the meeting.
The stakeholders pledged their support for advocacy and implementation of the programme to improve access to adolescent health information and youth-centred services in the district.
