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Adolescence is like an egg, handle it carefully …Adolescents urged
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Adolescents have been urged to treat their teenage years with caution, with adolescence being compared to ‘an egg’ that can crack instantly from a single mistake.
This came up during an engagement with adolescent boys and girls at Ave-Dakpa in the Akatsi North District under the project, ‘The Clinic Is Yours,’ an open day clinic, to invite adolescents and the youth to visit health facilities for free access to youth-friendly services.
It was organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency in collaboration with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), which is also a leading volunteer-supported non-governmental organisation, focused on providing comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services to young people in Ghana.
Madam Rosemary Addeh, the Midwife and In-charge of the Ave-Dakpa Health Centre, who facilitated the engagement, said adolescence was a period of rapid physical and brain development between childhood and adulthood, typically spanning the ages between 10 and 19, involving the search for social independence.
“Adolescence really is as fragile as an egg, and a single mistake can alter a young person’s future instantly.”
She explained that curiosity, peer pressure, and the desire to fit in made teenagers vulnerable and that the “egg once broken” by a crisis such as an unplanned pregnancy, the effects on a young person’s education, health and future were difficult to reverse.
The session highlighted the physical, mental, and social toll of teenage pregnancy, with other health risks cited including anaemia, malnutrition, early labour, and low birth-weight babies, because of immature physical development.
She said mentally, young mothers faced stress, depression and stigma, while socially many dropped out of school and faced long-term financial hardship.
To “handle the egg safely,” adolescents were advised to practice open communication with parents, seek comprehensive reproductive health education, set clear life goals, and build self- esteem to resist risky situations.
“When you access phone, use it for something profitable not pornographic materials. Also, access youth-friendly services. Get close to health workers on any information on SRHR, do not ask around to be deceived or misinformed as that can land you in trouble,” Madam Addeh advised.
Mr Delali Alex Dwomoh, the Physician Assistant and In-charge of Ave-Dakpa Health Centre, also addressed the group, assuring adolescents that health workers would not judge them.
“Take whatever you were told seriously. We will not be judgmental but will help you as young people to reach your full potential,” he assured them.
Mr Emmanuel Christopher Makam, the PPAG focal person for UNFPA Adolescent Girls Empowerment Project and Gender-based Violence Scale Up project for Volta Region, said the engagement formed part of ongoing efforts to equip adolescents with knowledge and support systems to navigate adolescence safely.–GNA
The Ministry of the Interior has condemned the assault of an arrested person while in police custody and has directed the Inspector-General of Police to launch a full investigation into the incident.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry said it noted with concern that the assault followed public statements linked to a religious dispute, including calls for violence against persons considered to have offended religious sensibilities.
“The Ministry unequivocally condemns all such statements, as there is no justification for inciting violence against Christians, Muslims, or any other person on the basis of religion,” the statement said.
The Ministry stressed that regardless of the allegation against a suspect, no one has the right to assault a person in police custody.
“An arrested person is in custody of the State and is entitled to the protection of the law,” the statement noted.
It also expressed serious concern over how civilians gained access to the person in custody.
The Minister, Muntaka Mubarak has directed the IGP to take three immediate actions
They are to identify how civilians accessed the arrested person and determine if any police personnel facilitated, permitted or acquiesced, adding that officers found culpable will face disciplinary action.
Additionally take immediate steps to identify, arrest and investigate the civilian persons who carried out the assault, in accordance with the law.
And finally investigate the conduct of all supervising officers responsible for custody and supervision, and apply disciplinary sanctions where necessary.
The Minister further directed the Police to deal with all persons arrested in connection with the preceding incidents “strictly in accordance with the law and without fear or favour.”
The Ministry reiterated that religious incitement, religious violence and the unlawful assault of persons in custody have no place in Ghana.
“No religious belief, personal grievance or other consideration places anyone above the law,” the statement emphasized.
It reaffirmed government’s commitment to maintaining public order, protecting the rights of persons in custody and promoting peaceful coexistence among citizens of all faiths and backgrounds.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Government of Ghana has stated that it fully funded the evacuation of more than 1,600 Ghanaians from South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, said Ghana did not seek financial or material support from the South African Government to bring the affected Ghanaians back home.
The Ministry was responding to media reports that South Africa was seeking about $18 million in reimbursement from some African countries for costs incurred in supporting and evacuating their nationals.
It explained that all costs related to the evacuation of Ghanaians were covered by the Government of Ghana and Ghanaian partners.
According to the Ministry, more than 1,600 Ghanaians have been evacuated from South Africa since May 2026, with the exercise still ongoing.
It said the evacuees are also provided with reintegration funds, transport fares and other relief items after arriving in Ghana to help them settle back into the country.
The Ministry assured Ghanaians that the country would not be included among those being asked by South Africa to reimburse the cost of repatriating foreign nationals.
It reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the lives and welfare of Ghanaians living abroad.
The Ministry said the government would continue to take timely action whenever the safety and security of Ghanaians outside the country were at risk.
It expressed gratitude to President John Mahama and Ghanaian partners for supporting the fully Ghanaian-funded evacuation exercise.
By: Jacob Aggrey
