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‘Involve religious leaders in tackling teenage pregnancy’
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● Mrs. Monica Mensah
Mrs. Monica Mensah, women empowerment advocate, is calling on stakeholders and policy makers including religious leaders across the country to help prevent teenage pregnancies.
According to her, ‘the nation cannot address challenges of teenage pregnancy in the communities without the support of religious leaders to sensitise the girl-child to the dangers associated with teenage pregnancies.
She said these in an interaction withThe Spectator about the risks involved in teenage pregnancy and the need for the girl-child to be empowered to attain their future aspirations.
“It is without doubt that, teenage pregnancy is taking its toll on us with unimaginable consequences and poses a threat to the development of the nation because the repercussions of teenage pregnancies puts pressure on the national budget”, Mrs Mensah said.
Mrs. Mensah, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Overcomers Catering School at Ablekuma-Fanmilk, Accra, underscored the need for all to get involved in addressing teenage pregnancy because it increased poverty levels in the country.
“Teen parents and their children are less likely to complete high school and more likely to live in abject poverty, teen mothers are more likely to have low birth weight babies who risk lifelong developmental and health problems all of which may prove to be very costly for families, communities and nations”, she indicated.
She added that, tackling teenage pregnancies would not only reduce high population growth rate, but make it easier for families and nations to invest in quality human capital through good nutrition, health, and better education for the benefit of all.
She stressed that practices that did not conform to the well-being of any girl or woman amounted to abuse and an infringement to their fundamental human rights.
Touching on witch camps in some parts of Ghana, the Gender Advocate condemned the act, classifying it as a cruel phenomenon.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
