News
VR records 6,139 teenage pregnancies
One-hundred-and sixty-five girls between 10 and 14 years got pregnant in the Volta Region last year.
Out of this figure, 23 were recorded in the Akatsi South District, 21 in the Ketu North Municipality while Ho and Ketu South Municipalities recorded 14 cases each.
Also, 5,974 teenagers within the age group of 15 and 19 got pregnant during the same period.
This brings the total number of underage and teenage pregnancies in the region in 2020 to 6,139.
Out of the total figure, 774 were recorded in the Ketu South Municipality, followed by South Tongu District with 466 cases and then Keta Municipality with 464 cases.
The municipalities of Ketu North and Hohoe recorded 444 and 440 cases respectively while North Tongu District also recorded 414 cases.
Madam Florence Gyaase-Nketiah, Deputy Volta Regional Director of Nursing (Public Health) made the startling revelation to The Spectator at Ho on Tuesday.
She said that the Akatsi North District recorded 94 cases which was the least number of the pregnancies.
According to her, the health authorities in the region were working vigorously with the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, and the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency, UNFPA to curb the trend significantly.
The Deputy Director of Nursing entreated parents to talk openly with their children on sexuality, saying the “world is changing and so are the body development stages of our children.”
She expressed concern over the usual silence on the identities of the men who impregnated under-aged girls in the communities and called on all and sundry to help to expose the perpetrators for the appropriate action to be taken against them.
She again said that the 6,139 cases of underage and teenage pregnancies were among the 45,411 antenatal registrations in the region last year.
Still on the underage and teenage pregnancy figures, the Adaklu and Afadzato South Districts recorded 121 and 117 respectively, while Akatsi South recorded 392 cases, with 273 of such pregnancies occurring in the Anloga District and 300 in the Ho West District.
The rest are Kpando Municipality, 309; North Dayi District, 137; South Dayi, 302 and Agotime Ziope 181.
AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has broken ground on a modern 1,500-seater multipurpose assembly hall and a secured main gatehouse for New Edubiase Senior High School, in the Adansi South District.
The project, being executed by local contractor AA Engineering and Construction, is expected to be completed within 17 months and forms part of the Mine’s 10-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) — a strategic framework for delivering sustainable development in its host communities.
Beyond the expansive assembly hall, the facility will house a fully integrated administrative complex featuring a dedicated sound room, a 16-seater staff eatery, and suites for the Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster, a bursar’s office, an 18-seater conference room, a 24-seater staff common room, six faculty office spaces and ancillary stores and washrooms.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Mine’s Director of Sustainability Management, Edmund Oduro Agyei, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving educational outcomes in host communities through impactful and sustainable investments.
The Edubiasehene, Guahyia Oduropanin Birikorang, commended the Mine for the investment, saying the project demonstrated that the company’s development agenda extended well beyond its immediate operational areas.
The Headmaster of New Edubiase SHS, Mr Christopher Appiah Mensah, described the intervention as timely and transformative, noting it would address longstanding infrastructure deficits, improve conditions for teaching and learning, and create adequate space for academic and social gatherings.
“This will greatly enhance administrative efficiency and improve the overall welfare of both staff and students,” he said.
The facility is also expected to boost the school’s capacity to host national examinations and major events, and strengthen its standing as a centre of academic excellence within the district.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Stakeholders have been urged to help raise awareness and eliminate the stigma often associated with clubfoot, a treatable condition which occurs in children.
Parents are to seek early treatment for the condition while policymakers strengthen support for early detection, disability inclusion, and child health services in the country.
Clubfoot is a condition present at birth in which one or both feet are twisted inward and downward. If left untreated, experts say a child may face lifelong challenges with walking, which could affect education, employment, and social inclusion.
In Ghana, an estimated 1,000 babies are said to be born with clubfoot every year.
In commemoration of the World Clubfoot Day, marked on June 3 every year, stakeholders create awareness about the condition and, among other things, celebrate the dedication of health professionals who ensure children receive treatment.
In a release copied to the Ghana News Agency, Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, Programme Manager, Ghana Clubfoot Programme, noted that many families were unaware of the free treatment available for the condition in Ghana. 
She observed that the lack of awareness continued to delay treatment for children who could have received prompt and life-changing care at no cost.
Treatment, she said, was provided free of charge for children under age five at Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG–Hope Walks) partner clinics across the country.
More than 9,000 children born with clubfoot had received treatment and care through the programme over the past 18 years.
“The treatment follows the internationally recognised Ponseti Method, which uses a series of gentle casts to gradually correct the position of the foot, followed by a brace to maintain correction and prevent relapse. When treatment begins early, success rates are extremely high,” Madam Adjetey explained.
“For many children, the journey begins with a health worker who identifies clubfoot at birth and makes a referral. A few moments of observation can change the course of a child’s life forever.”
“Clubfoot is not a curse; it is not caused by wrongdoing…it is a medical condition that can be treated successfully. Families should never feel ashamed to seek help.”
The Programme Manager said children born with the condition deserved equal opportunities, dignity, and inclusion, and called on communities to support parents rather than “judge them.” -GNA
