The Department of Gender in the Ashanti Region has called for stronger and sustained action to address teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse among adolescents, warning that inadequate protection and limited access to appropriate health information could put the future of young people at risk.
The Department said tackling the challenges required a coordinated effort involving parents, schools, communities, health professionals, government institutions and development partners.
Madam Ama Nyanta Boateng, Ashanti Regional Head of the Department of Gender, made the call during a series of adolescent sexual and reproductive health sensitisation workshops organised by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.
She urged parents and guardians to report cases of rape involving their children to the police and allow the law to take its course, cautioning against privately settling such cases or compromising with alleged perpetrators.
According to her, attempts to settle sexual abuse cases outside the legal system could deny victims justice and expose other children to further abuse.
Madam Boateng stressed that allegations of sexual abuse must be taken seriously and victims provided with appropriate protection, counselling and other forms of support.
She also called on communities to strengthen their vigilance and reporting mechanisms to protect children and adolescents from sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Ashanti Regional Director of the National Population Council, Madam Mercy Adomah Besseah, also raised concern about the sexual and reproductive health challenges facing young people.
She said a recent report from the Ghana AIDS Commission indicated that the Ashanti Region had recorded the second-highest number of HIV/AIDS cases among young people in the country.
Madam Besseah described the situation as worrying, stressing that young people represented an important component of Ghana’s future workforce.
She therefore called for urgent and sustained measures to prevent new HIV infections and reduce teenage pregnancy among adolescents.
She said providing young people with accurate information, appropriate counselling and access to adolescent-friendly health services could enable them to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
Madam Besseah encouraged young people to utilise available health and counselling services and seek professional guidance whenever they faced sexual and reproductive health challenges.
The sensitisation workshops brought together young people and adults from Adansi Asokwa, New Edubiase, Sekyere Central, Kwadaso, Asokore Mampong, Atwima Nwabiagya South and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
The sessions focused on strengthening adolescent-friendly health services, improving access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, and promoting the sexual and reproductive health rights of young people.
Participants also discussed the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, HIV and other reproductive health challenges affecting adolescents.
Some participants said the programme had provided them with useful knowledge and practical information that could help them make responsible decisions and educate their peers.
They expressed optimism that the knowledge acquired would contribute to efforts to reduce teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse and other sexual and reproductive health challenges in their communities.
