This is the assertion of a Communications Associate of the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, Praise Nutakor.

“They are issues that affect us, and they aim at addressing these issues that are affecting our environment, climate, sanitation among others. So if we leave things to chance and we do not take action, our young ones stay unconcerned and they do not get involved to educate their peers to create awareness and come out with initiatives aimed at educating others towards the achievement of the goals, we will not have a better world” she said.

He noted that “The goals aim at having a better world for all of us and making sure that we all leave a better world behind for the generations to come.. So if we sit unconcerned we will become poorer and we will not have development. So we need all of us to get involved, especially our young people in the various schools to get involved in the various goals to educate people to bring an attitudinal change in the way we consume, the way we live.”

The Executive Director of Ghana International Model UN, Philip Mclaw Gyamfi, spoke Citi News about interventions put in place to harness the potentials of the youth to achieve the SDGs

“The achievement of the SDGs is not in the boardrooms where we meet. They are on the grounds so we try as much as possible to make sure people take initiatives and actions to help towards the achievement of the SDGs. We want young people to let us know what they know about the SDGs. Our upcoming competition will push the high school students into research, in the process, many will ask what the SDGs are all about, how can we help achieve them. That way, awareness will be created and strides made towards the achievements of the SDGs” he said.

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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To this end, Akufo-Addo said his government is putting in place policies that will ensure the girl child in Ghana is encouraged to reach her full potential, for Ghana to possibly produce a woman president for the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Z0eDsGvMBOxAc2Eb65SAjblC8SR860Gj”]The president also cited the implementation of the free Senior High School policy, as one that will go a long way to keep the girl child in school.

Speaking at a UNESCO Global Concert in New York, the president added that, because women account for 51 percent of the population of Ghana and in most countries “empowering them is critical to speeding up Africa’s progress.”

“So as president of Ghana, as co-chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and as AU gender champion, I am committed to putting in place policies and programmes aimed at improving the development of the girl child in Ghana. I’m equally committed to ensuring access to a minimum of senior high school education for the girl child in Ghana; a policy that has already began to work.”

“I’m also committed to mobilizing support towards ending child marriage in Ghana and the whole of the African continent. Together we can achieve gender equality, empower the women and girls and achieve the global means of the sustainable development goals. And one day we are going to have a female president of Ghana,” he added.

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By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He said government had worked collectively to create safe and supportive environment, ensure access to appropriate information and ensure that health facilities provided goods and services such as counselling on mental health, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health to meet the SDG targets.

The Minister gave the assurance in Accra at the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on Midwifery Services Framework on the theme: “Expanding Quality Midwifery Services for the Benefit of Sexual and Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health Services”.

The workshop is in collaboration with the United Nations partners, Ghana Registered Midwives Association and the USAID.

The framework is a tool developed by International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and partners to support the development and strengthening of midwifery services across countries, focusing on a quality midwifery workforce.

It also provides health system developers and planners, maternal and newborn health expert, policy makers with an evidence-based tool.

The Minister said government had over the years provided sexual and reproductive health services, including maternal and newborn health care.

Mr Agyemang-Manu noted that government was convinced about ensuring that access to health care was key enabling factor to improved maternal and newborn health and that was the need to sustain the National Health Insurance Scheme.

He commended all hard working health practitioners across the country for the immense role played in bringing relief and healthcare to Ghanaians.

“Government will remain focused and committed to implementing policies that will help improve the health sector as well as build capacity of the personnel to enable them deliver quality healthcare”, he said.

Mrs Jemima Dennis-Antwi, ICM Africa Regional Board member, said the workshop would identify areas in the delivery of sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health services of relevance to the country’s context towards achieving the SDG targets.

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Source: GNA

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He  now has 5256 points from the eight events done so far with the latest being the 110m hurdles.

Nyamadi came fifth in the event with a time of 15.40 while the winner Stephen Cain of Australia recorded a time of 14.85.

Nyamadi is scheduled to take part in the discuss throw and the pole vault to complete the decathlon.

In the women’s T54 1500m heats, Ajara Mohammed made it to the final of the event after finishing fourth in her heats. She recorded a personal best time of 4:05.04  to qualify as the fastest loser.

That heat was won by England’s Shelly Woods.

Her team-mates Anita Fordjour and Bernice Frimpong were not successful in their bid though. They finished 5th and 6th in the same heat but they managed to make new personal record times.

Fordjour’s time of 4:21.24 was her new season’s best time while Frimpong’s time of 4:21.58 was her new personal best.

Their heat was won by Canada’s Diane Roy in a time of 3:52.82.

In the men’s event, Emmanuel Boateng finished 6th with a time of 3:44.44 which was a new personal best.

Felix Acheampong qualified to the final after finishing fourth with a time of 3:33.40 and that was his season’s best but it was heartbreak for Patrick Obeng who fell over in the final bend as he tried sneaking in through the innermost lane.

That cost him a possible qualifying place and he finished 6th with a time of 3:48.11.

That heat was won by Canada’s Alex Dupont.

The top three from the each of the male and female heats in addition to the fastest fourth place will make it to the final.

The women’s 400m heats also had a Ghanaian, Rashida Abubakar and she placed 8th in the second heat.

That heat was topped by Jamaica’s Janieve Russel in a time of 56.18 seconds

By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Kwadwo Acheampong could not go far in the Men’s 400m as he finished 5th in Heat 2 with a time of 47.72 seconds and the same fate befell Daniel Gyasi who ran in the 7th heat of the event.

He also came in 5th and he recorded a time of 47.07 seconds. His team-mate John Obrien did not fare better in his heat after injuring himself and thus, could not finish.

In yesterday’s initial round, Solomon Afful finished 5th in the Men’s 100m heat and he made a time of 10.66 seconds while Shawkia Iddrisu was 5th in her 400m heat with a time of 55.74 seconds.

In the men’s decathlon, Atsu Nyamadi came fifth in the second heat of the men’s 100m in a time of 11.27 seconds.

He also took part in the long jump Group A and leaped a distance of 7.36m and threw 10.38m in the shot put to place 10th in that event.

The times he recorded in the 100m and the long jump are his new personal best times for the current season.

Overall, Nyamadi lies 9th with 2397 points while the leader, Damian Warner of Canada leads the line with 2691 points.

Nyamadi will compete in the high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, Discuss throw and the pole vault on the 28th and the 29th of July at the Hampden Park in Glasgow.

By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) means the sprinters are free to race again immediately.

Powell plans to run at a meeting in Lucerne on Tuesday.

Powell and Simpson, who has won Olympic relay gold, both tested positive for the banned stimulant oxilofrine at last year’s Jamaican national championships.

Powell, 31, called the initial suspension “unfair and unjust”.

He wrote on Twitter:  “Finally this weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Justice has been served. Now let’s run!”

Powell and Simpson, 29, were given 18-month suspensions by the Jamaican anti-doping disciplinary panel in April, though both were backdated to end in December 2014.

Both argued their offence was minor because the positive results came from taking a contaminated version of Epiphany D1, a legal supplement.

In January, Powell testified that physical trainer Chris Xuereb provided him with nine supplements, including Epiphany D1.

Canadian Xuereb denies the claims.

Powell, the biggest name in Jamaican sprinting before the rise of double world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt, held the 100m world record between 2005 and 2008.

Training partner Simpson won silver in the 100m at the 2008 Olympics and also has Olympic gold and silver medals from the sprint relay.

Both athletes will miss the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the Jamaican team was selected during their suspension.

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Source: BBC Sport

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