News
HPV vaccination campaign: UNICEF partners CSOs to reach out-of-school girls
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is partnering with six Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to reach girls aged nine to 14 who are out of school as it rolls out the HPV Vaccination Campaign.
The collaboration featuring Theatre for Social Change, Curious Minds Ghana, DAWAH Academy, Muslim Women in Teaching (MUSWIT), The Light Foundation, and Meta Foundation will mobilise communities to boost vaccine uptake among girls often missed by mainstream health initiatives.
Activities will include grassroots sensitisation, outreach, and mobilisation to close the information and access gap between in-school and out-of-school girls.
Ghana now joins more than 140 countries that have integrated the HPV vaccine into routine immunisation programmes, a key step in the fight against cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women globally.
Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest burden, with over 70 per cent of cases detected at late stages, leading to poor treatment outcomes.
Speaking at the annual MUSWIT conference in Kumasi, UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, Madam Charity Nikoi, stressed the need to reach out-of-school girls with the same urgency as those in school.
She urged parents and guardians to ensure eligible girls take the vaccine before exposure to the virus, noting that it is most effective at an early age.
The campaign aims to reduce cervical cancer incidence, improve women’s health outcomes, and ensure no eligible girl-whether in school or not-is left unprotected against HPV. -GNA
News
Minority leader urges NPP members to remain united amid restructuring
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin, has called on members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remain steadfast and united as the party works to restructure its core values for the future.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Afenyo-Markin reminded the rank and file of the party that challenges should not divide them.
“We must rebuild, yes, but not as scattered stones. We must rebuild together. We are not a broken party, we are only a battle-tested party. We must not allow current challenges to blur our vision or break our ranks,” he said.
He further stressed that rebuilding the NPP must be done collectively and guided by the party’s values.
“We must rebuild together, brick by brick, anchored in our values and in the unshakable belief that no individual is bigger than the NPP. That belief must reflect in our tone, our language, our strategy, and most importantly, in our posture towards one another,” the Minority Leader stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Police in pursuit of two suspected to be plotting a crime
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has launched investigations after officers recovered weapons and ammunition from an abandoned vehicle, believed to be linked to two men suspected of planning a crime.
The incident occurred on Sunday, August 17, 2025, when the Kuntanase District Patrol Team spotted a white Toyota Sienta with registration number NR 289-24 suspiciously parked near a bushy area along the Aputuoagya-Bekwai road.
In a statement, the police said two men were seen beside the vehicle allegedly smoking a substance suspected to be narcotics.
They fled into the nearby bush when they noticed the approaching police and escaped despite a pursuit.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, a locally made firearm, two AK-47 magazines loaded with 30 rounds each, four packets of ammunition, and seven loose rounds.
Other items recovered included a smartphone, cowrie shells, footwear, and personal identification cards.
The vehicle has been impounded at the Kuntanase Police Station, and all recovered items are being retained as exhibits to support the ongoing investigation.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command urged members of the public with information about the suspects to report to the nearest police station or call emergency numbers 191, 18555, or 112.
By: Jacob Aggrey
