Audio By Carbonatix
An estimated 750,000 teenagers between 15 to 19 years become pregnant in Ghana annually, and last year about 14,000 teenagers became pregnant in the Central Region alone.
Also, a total of 762 teenagers in the Gomoa West District in the Central region became pregnant last year and 17 of them were aged between ten and 14years.
Mr. Bright Amissah-Nyarko of the Central Regional Branch Chairman of the Ghana Coalition of NGOs on Health (GCNH), made this known on Thursday in Cape Coast, at its fifth Regional Civil Society Organizations’ (CSO) health forum.
The event was on the theme: “Overcoming the Gaps and Challenges in Attaining Reproductive Health Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Indicators; the Collective Role of CSOs and stakeholders".
Mr. Amissah-Nyarko said the high cases of teenage pregnancy was partly due to irresponsible parenthood, broken homes, child neglect and peer pressure, and gave the assurance that the Coalition would ‘not rest’ until there was drastic change in the situation.
Concerning health in the region, he said malaria that continued to be the highest reported medical condition at all health facilities, posed a major threat, particularly to pregnant women and children below five years.
Mr. Amissah-Nyarko said it would be difficult to achieve the MDGs four and five that seek to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health by 2015, in the region.
He mentioned misconception about the use of family planning methods, inadequate number of personnel with requisite skills to deliver at health facilities and limited care for emergency obstetric and newborn babies.
Mr. Amissah-Nyarko said the Coalition would collaborate with stakeholders and organize health educational programmes for people, particularly school children in their reproductive stages.
He said the Coalition would also intensify education on sexual reproductive health and rights in schools, homes and communities, as well as monitor the growth of teenage mothers, offer them psychosocial counseling and make sure that those who dropped out of school returned to the classroom.
Mr. Amissah-Nyarko called on development partners, the Government, media and stakeholders to support the Coalition in achieving its objectives.
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