WaterAid Ghana is urging traditional and religious leaders to leverage their influential roles in communities to spark meaningful discussions on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The appeal comes amid growing concerns about teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people in northern Ghana.
Speaking at a recent stakeholder engagement in the Bongo District, Ms. Molly Dasoberi Maalinuo, Project Assistant at WaterAid Ghana, emphasized that open dialogue facilitated by respected local figures could challenge harmful social norms and empower adolescents with accurate information to make informed choices about their futures.
The event formed part of the ongoing Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project, a five-year initiative targeting the Kassena-Nankana, Builsa, Kassena-Nankana West, and Bongo districts. Implemented by a consortium led by Right To Play and supported by WaterAid Ghana, FAWE-Ghana, and FHI 360—with funding from Global Affairs Canada—the project seeks to promote gender equality and improve access to age-appropriate sexual education and gender-responsive healthcare for young women and girls.
Ms. Maalinuo highlighted the importance of creating safe spaces where adolescents can comfortably approach chiefs, pastors, and queen mothers to discuss sexual health issues, helping to reduce early pregnancies and child marriages.
FAWE-Ghana’s Programmes Officer, Mr. Eli Katsakpor, called for enhanced education on contraceptive use, particularly condoms, to curb the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and STIs.
Queen mother Pognaba Felicia Agampoka of the Feo community voiced concern over the rising teenage pregnancy rates locally and urged greater involvement of queen mothers in youth sexual health education. She also advocated for stronger enforcement of laws against perpetrators of child marriage, defilement, and teenage pregnancy as a deterrent.
The engagement underscored the necessity of multi-stakeholder collaboration to sustain progress in adolescent sexual and reproductive health across the targeted districts.
