The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has recommended in its Metropolitan Authority Report that adolescent health education should be intensified to help promote, encourage and educate the youth on Reproductive Health Services.

The report said the youth should be sensitized on the importance of patronizing reproductive health centres available in the communities, secondary schools and public health facilities in the metropolis.

Mr Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive presented the Authority Report during the Second Ordinary General Assembly Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Assembly of the TMA.

Mr Anang-La recommended that the adolescent friendly corners at the various health facilities should be supported by the Assembly while considering to create more of such corners in the communities to meet the reproductive needs of adolescents.

"The Assembly should assist Assembly Members to encourage adolescent protection programmes such as education on menstrual health and hygiene, sexual abuse and sexual reproductive health in the communities," he said.

He said TMA would continue to support awareness creation and adolescent court issues as a complement to the promotion of youth development in the metropolis.

He revealed that a study of the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate's 2021 estimated adolescent population data indicated that adolescent protection was an area that needed the attention of the Assembly.

Giving the data, he said an estimated total population for adolescents aged between 10 and 14 in the Metropolis stood at 25,901 with Manhean having 10,838 of the figure.

Those aged between15-19 was estimated to 23,268 with a breakdown of Manhean having 9,736, community one, 2,434 while Tema North and Tema South respectively have 7,769 and 3,329.

The MCE also noted that statistics available to the Assembly pointed to the fact that in 2020 adolescent pregnancy dropped from 511 in 2019 to 502, while family planning among them also recorded one as against the 1,585 seen in the metropolis in 2019.

Abortions among adolescents reduced from 85 in 2019 to 51 in 2020, while 22 of them tested positive to HIV and one died under maternal deaths.

Touching on other health related issues, he said continuous surveillance for the Delta strain of the COVID-19 was still ongoing in addition to public education and awareness on the pandemic prevention and management and therefore urged the public to continue to strictly adhere to the protocols.