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Make family planning centres, antenatal clinics adolescent friendly
Stigmatisation and judgmental attitudes from some health workers have been identified as some of the factors that discourages young people from accessing care.
The interim Country Director of Right to Play Ghana, Mr Evans Sinkari, has, therefore, urged family planning centres to be more welcoming and inclusive to adolescents seeking reproductive health services.
“Young people are among the most vulnerable when it comes to reproductive health, yet they face the greatest barriers to accessing services,” he said.
In an interview with The Spectator, Mr Sinkari explained that adolescents, aged 10 to 19, were at risk of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and sexually transmitted infections due to limited access to information and services.
He stated that many were sexually active, whether by choice, coercion, or early marriage—yet often lacked adequate knowledge of, or access to contraception.
He emphasised that health workers’ judgmental attitudes, coupled with lack of privacy and confidentiality, often shame adolescents, deterring them from seeking contraceptives.
The fear that parents or community members may discover their choices further discourages them, he noted, and added that unfriendly environments at health facilities largely designed for adults, created feelings of intimidation, while financial and social barriers limit adolescents’ decision-making power and ability to pay for care.
According to Mr Sinkari, accessible and youth-friendly family planning centres would help reduce adolescent pregnancies and associated risks.
Contraceptive access, he stressed, prevents unsafe abortions, a leading cause of maternal mortality among adolescents.
He noted that promoting health and education would also reduce unintended pregnancies, allowing young people to remain in school and realise their potential.
On adolescent pregnancy, he noted that some health workers stigmatised young mothers when they sought antenatal care.
He emphasised the need for compassion, dignity, and professionalism in treating adolescent pregnant girls, arguing that stigmatisation undermined their rights and Ghana’s public health goals.
“It is not right for health workers in Ghana or anywhere to undermine adolescent girls,” he indicated, warning that such attitudes discouraged antenatal visits, skilled delivery, and postnatal care.
Some young mothers, fearing mistreatment, turn to unsafe abortions or unqualified traditional attendants, putting their lives at risk.
“These psychological harms lead to poor maternal and child outcomes, including preterm births, low birth weight, neonatal complications, and reduced uptake of postnatal services such as child immunisation and nutrition,” he explained.
Additionally, he cautioned that negative attitudes by health professionals perpetuate a cycle of harm, discouraging care-seeking, worsening health outcomes, increasing stigma, and undermining Ghana’s health and development goals.
Citing the 1992 Constitution and international agreements ratified by Ghana, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, he stressed that all adolescents have the right to quality, non-discriminatory healthcare.
Moreover, Mr Sinkari called for full implementation of Ghana’s Adolescent Health Services Policy and the National Reproductive Health Services Policy, which emphasise creating safe, supportive, and youth-friendly health services.
He said adolescent reproductive health must be a national priority, urging the establishment of more adolescent-friendly clinics across the country to provide education, reduce stigma, and help Ghana achieve SDG 3 on health and SDG 5 on gender equality.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
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Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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