This according to her, would “certainly position Africa to achieve its demographic dividend”.

The First Lady made the call at the 19th General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/ADIS (OAFLA) organised on the side-line of the 29th AU summit under the theme ‘‘Building on 15 years of engagement to harness the demographic dividend of Africa through promoting the needs of adolescents and their access to youth-friendly health services”.

The First Lady was speaking on the topic “Should adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health information and services be the responsibility of health and education leaders or family and community leaders?”

Africa, she said has the highest fertility rate in the world of about five (5) births per woman and asked “What will our cities look like in the next 30 years if we fail to make the needed investments for adolescents to have easy and user-friendly access to information and services for sexual and reproductive health and rights?”

She said “there will be an unsustainably high increase in the population with consequent destabilizing high unemployment rate, poverty, illiteracy and crime. Our food security may be threatened”.

Mrs Akufo-Addo said in many parts of Africa, including Ghana, adolescents are often ill-informed and ignorant about their rights adding that often, they also lack access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.

This she said had become possible, due the fact that the family and community, which traditionally are the primary institution for socialization, are inhibited by cultural taboos or ignorance when it comes to educating the youth about their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Also, she said even where services are available there are barriers that make it difficult for adolescents to access the services and gave an example where health service providers tend to be judgmental in their dealings with adolescents; thinking that it is the morally depraved adolescent who accesses these health facilities.

She added that in some cases, health facilities may not be equipped to provide adolescents with the services they need and may also not be ‘user-friendly’ to the adolescents with the educational system and religious institutions sometimes not provide the needed comprehensive education to enable young adults to protect their health, well-being and dignity.

She said because of these challenges, many adolescents lack the knowledge required to make responsible and informed decisions and choices concerning their Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) leaving them vulnerable and prone to practices, which result in unsafe abortion, child marriages, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.

To help solve these challenges, she called on everyone including the family, community, health, educational, traditional and religious leaders to work in a concerted, sustained, collective and collaborative manner to help provide adequate information to the adolescents and youth to help them make informed choices.

She enumerated some of the initiatives and efforts being undertaken to include the hosting and launch of the United Continental ‘‘All In’’ Campaign which aims at finding solutions to end adolescent AIDS and promote the involvement of adolescents in decision making regarding their SRH and rights.
Ghana she said the launch has revised its National Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy (NDRHP) which according to her had led to an improvement in access to user-friendly Clinics.

She said queen mothers, traditional rulers and religious leaders have also been involved in promoting the well-being of the south adding that steps have been taken to mainstream life skills and reproductive health and rights education in the countries educational system saying that “this gives us cause to be optimistic about achieving the demographic dividend that will eventually impact positively on our national development”.

–

Credit: Office of First Lady

The post First Lady calls for support for adolescent reproductive health appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mrs. Akufo-Addo said this when she visited the Ayawaso East and Central constituencies in the Greater Accra Region on Wednesday, November 2.

At Nima, Mrs.Akufo-Addo visited the market and the Nima polyclinic.

She told traders at the market where she commissioned street lights constructed by her and the Parliamentary Candidate Peter Mireku, that the NPP is a business friendly party and would ensure they have access to affordable financing and other incentives to revive failing businesses.

She appealed to them to vote for change by voting for Nana Addo and the NPP to enable them develop Ghana.

Mrs Akufo-Addo later donated equipment to the Nima Polyclinic and promised to continue to support healthcare provision, especially maternal healthcare.

She added that a Nana Addo government would revive the NHIS, in line with the NPP policy of providing quality healthcare for Ghanaians.

She finally visited the Alajo market and its surroundings where she told enthusiastic crowds to vote for Nana Addo who would be a father to all Ghanaians and deliver on the policies outlined by the NPP in its manifesto.

Mrs.Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the parliamentary candidates for Ayawaso East And Central, Peter Mireku, Hon. Henry Quartey,Regional executives, and other NPP members.

–

By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post My husband is a man of his word – Mrs. Akufo-Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mrs Akufo-Addo, who made the remark when she visited the deplorable community clinic at Abbam township in the Upper West Akim constituency promised the residents that, a Nana Addo-led government would take healthcare serious.

Again at Adetem, Mrs Akufo-Addo who was saddened at the poor state of the primary school, told the people that Nana Addo would be a father to all, and work hard to improve their lives.

She therefore charged them to vote for change, by voting for Nana Addo and the NPP.

Mrs.Akufo-Addo later visited various areas including Kofi Kum and Bawjiase in the Agona East and Awutu Senya West constituencies in the central region, where she called on the Central Region to lead in voting for change on December 7.

At the Bawjiase market, she told them that Nana Addo would surely make Ghana work again and promised to help women in the country, when Nana is voted to lead the country.

She was accompanied by regional executives, the parliamentary candidate for Upper west Akim Eugene Sackey, Agona East Owusu Barnes, Nenyi George Andah and their constituency executives and other party members.

–

By: Franklin Badu Jnr/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Collapsed NHIS would work again under NPP – Mrs. Akufo-Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.