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C/R records 3,198 teenage pregnancies within 5 months
The Central Region has recorded a total of 3,198 teenage pregnancies from January to May this year.
According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS), drivers, farmers and teachers continued to be the group of men who were impregnating the teens.
Madam Lydia Acquah, a nutrition officer at the Ekumfi District Health Directorate who revealed this, described the situation as ‘very pathetic’ and called for pragmatic measures to be put in place to tackle it.
She was addressing some youth groups in Ekumfi at a day’s step-down engagement between youth groups and policy makers on policy development and implementation on youth participation in decision making at Ekumfi.
The event was organised by the National Youth Authority (NYA) in collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Speaking on adolescent sexual reproductive health and its related issues, Madam Acquah revealed that the spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) was common among adolescents.
She said accessing health services was a problem for teen expectant mothers and adolescents with STIs due to the stigma attached to them.
Madam Acquah said the GHS established adolescent friendly clinics to specifically educate and respond to the reproductive health needs of the adolescent, and to ensure they received adequate access to health services.
But surprisingly, she bemoaned, the adolescents were not patronising them, saying this could partly be the reason for the high teenage pregnancies in the region.
Additionally, she indicated, sexual exploitation by some unscrupulous men, irresponsible parenting, misconceptions about family planning, and lack of sex education and family planning had compounded the problem.
In the Ajumako Eyan Esiam District, where more than 237 teen pregnancies had been recorded, Mrs Esther Amankwah, Acting District Health Director underscored the need to assist and guide adolescents as they transitioned into adulthood.
She said adolescents were faced with several reproductive health challenges and that their inability to make the right choices could adversely destroy their future, and cautioned the youth against drug abuse and said such risky behaviours could have lifelong consequences on their health, education and social lives.
ASP Doris Amewude, Deputy Central Regional DOVVSU Coordinator spoke about the role of the youth and other stakeholders in ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), and stressed that rape and defilement cases must not be settled at home. GNA
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
