The youth of Bawku have expressed concern about the lack of Adolescent Reproductive Health facilities in the town.
The young people expressed the concern at an interface meeting on the theme; "The Youth Participation in Advocacy for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights," organised by the Rural-Urban Women and Children Development Agency (RUWACDA).
It was funded by International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Advocacy Flexy Fund.
About 60 adolescents and parents in ten communities, stakeholders from government departments from the Bawku Municipality and its environs attended the two day meeting.
They stated that the only one Adolescent Reproductive Health Centre established in the Bawku Municipality was not functioning as a result of the conflict.
They said as a result, many adolescents in Bawku had no place to access knowledge on their reproductive health needs hence there was an increase in teenage pregnancy and its attendant illegal abortion, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS as a result of unsafe sex.
The adolescents stressed the need for the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to reactivate and if possible establish more Adolescent Reproductive Health Centres in the Bawku Municipality and its environs.
They called on the health institutions to help provide them with more knowledge on their reproductive health to prevent them from engaging in early sexual activities and unsafe sex resulting in unwanted pregnancies and STDs.
Dr Thomas Mensah Afful, a Resource Person who spoke on "National Reproductive Policy," said despite the existence of a National Policy on
Adolescent Reproductive Health, for over a decade, there were no concrete data on it in the Bawku Municipality.
Mr Akyia Abdulai Awudu, Presiding Member of the Bawku Municipal Assembly pledged that the Assembly would support the organisers to carry out more activities on adolescent reproductive health.
Mr Braimah Abdulai Bukari, Executive Director of RUWACDA, said the objective of the Agency was to create awareness on adolescent reproductive health issues as well as diseases like TB, HIV/AIDS, and Malaria among women
and children.
Mr Philiberk Kuupol, Bawku Municipal Coordinating Director, commended RUWACDA for organising the programme and said issues on health were very paramount to national development.
He entreated the youth to always come out with good initiatives and advised them to eschew all forms of violence.