The Deputy Director of Nursing Services, Public Health at the Bono Regional Directorate of Health, Miss Rita Adjoa Ansong, stated that 14,877 adolescent pregnancies occurred in the Bono Region between 2021 and 2024.
According to her, the region also saw 1,188 abortion occurrences during the same time frame, with the majority of the pregnancies and abortions occurring in girls aged 15 to 19.
In Sunyani, Ms. Ansong was addressing a stakeholders’ meeting about the Bono Regional Directorate of Health’s African Vaccination Week (AVW) and Child Health Promotion Week (CHPW).
There were 3,999 pregnancies and 388 abortion cases in 2021, 4,058 pregnancies and 351 abortions in 2022, 3,492 pregnancies and 217 abortions in 2023, and 3,328 pregnancies and 282 abortions in 2024, according to the analysis, she added.
Ms. Asong described the situation as concerning and urged stakeholders to help increase the region’s coverage of Family Planning (FP) among teenage girls who are sexually active in order to reduce the number of pregnancies.
According to her, FP gave girls the ability to make knowledgeable decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health, which in turn gave them the chance to pursue further education.
Ms. Ansong stated that outdated cultural and religious views, a lack of community support, and some myths and misconceptions prevented women and girls from using the different FP service delivery modalities.
In 2024, 39.58 percent of women and girls in their reproductive age were predicted to receive FP services regionally, compared to 36.45 percent in 2023, she said.
Re-registration of the long-acting reversible contraceptive technique (LARC) and partner collaboration and commodities supply were the marginal achievements, according to the acceptance rate for 2024, which increased by 0.08 percent over the previous year.
Ms. Asong also mentioned that the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), Marie Stopes, and DKT’s free commodity services were important factors in raising the acceptor rate.
She emphasized that FP gave women and girls the power to make decisions about their future, which resulted in healthier pregnancies and fewer maternal deaths. She urged the media and other stakeholders to help increase awareness-raising and address the obstacles.
The meeting’s goal, according to Dr. Prince Quarshie, Deputy Director of Public Health at the Bono Regional Directorate of Health, was to educate the public and stakeholders on the value of vaccinations and the range of child health services offered in the nation.
Additionally, it provided a forum for enhancing cooperation between important parties, such as governmental organizations, development partners, local authorities, medical professionals, and the media.
The World Health Organization (WHO) created the AVW in 2010 to raise awareness of vaccination as a life-saving measure. It is observed every year during the final week of April (24–30).
Dr. Quarshie clarified that the CHPW, which was implemented by the Ministry of Health in 2004 to raise the nation’s child survival rates, was observed from May 5 to May 9 and focused on preventive care, nutrition, and immunizations for children under five.
Source: newsthemegh.com