Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG) with the support of Ghana Health Service engages youth leaders, religious and traditional leaders, assembly members and other community gatekeepers to strategically advocate for community-based reproductive health education in Bolgatanga East, Bongo and Binduri districts in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

The community engagement is a part of activities under the Youth for Health (Y4H) project which is Co-funded by the European Union. The activity was carried out in 12 communities in the three selected districts. The implementing communities were introduced to the Y4H project whilst identifying and engaging various stakeholders to deepen collaboration for a successful execution of the project.

The stakeholders, mainly traditional and religious leaders, and other key opinion leaders in various communities expressed their appreciation for the project and pledged to work hand in hand with YAG and partners in the implementation to help expand access to life-changing adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in their communities.

“This community engagement is very important to my community because it educates parents and community gatekeepers on the need for adolescent reproductive health, as it enables adolescents and young people make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive life.” noted Melody, a community nurse Bongo- Tingere community health and planning services (CHPS) in the Bongo district.

“The Youth for Health project comes at a timely period because the recent high rise in teenage pregnancy is denying our girl children the opportunity to get educated, hence this project will enable us shape the sexual and reproductive lives of adolescntd in the community for a better future,” noted Salamatu Abubakar, a community nurse at Bongo- Tingere community health and planning services (CHPS) in the Bongo district.

The Youth for Health (Y4H) project aims to increase demand for, and access to, high-quality, discrimination-free ASRHR information and services; increase public sector willingness and capacity to deliver and sustain high-quality ASRHR information and services, and improve enabling policy and funding environment at regional, national, and sub-national level of the project.

The project builds on MSI and partners’ experience in supporting the delivery of adolescent-friendly healthcare, advocating for increased domestic funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and strengthening the capacity of adolescents, youth and community structures.

The Y4H project is being implemented in six countries in Africa from 2022-2025. In Ghana, the project is implemented by Marie Stopes Ghana (MSG) and Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG) in the Northern and Upper East regions. 

YAG leads on the implementation of reproductive health education (RHE) for in-and-out of school adolescents in Ghana and contributes to awareness raising and policy dialogue on SRHR of vulnerable adolescents.