THE Youth for Health (Y4H) project, a three-year initiative aimed at improving access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in 12 districts across the Upper East and Northern regions, has officially concluded in Ghana.

Funded by the European Union (EU), the project was implemented by Marie Stopes International (MSI) and Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG), in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The intervention primarily targeted adolescents and young people, creating safe spaces for learning, informed decision-making, and improved access to appropriate SRH services.

Addressing a close-out ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Programme Manager at MSI, Mr. Abukari Abdul Mumin, said the Y4H project was anchored on three key objectives: creating demand for reproductive health services, providing quality services, and influencing policies to create an enabling environment for young people.

According to him, under the project, MSI supported the delivery of more than 240,000 family planning services, covering short-term, long-acting reversible, and permanent methods.

He said the project reached over 200,000 adolescents, contributing to the prevention of more than 8,000 unintended pregnancies and helping to reduce the risk of unsafe abortions and maternal deaths in the implementing communities.

“Health facilities were also equipped with essential items including autoclaves, blood pressure apparatus, weighing scales, and examination beds to improve quality of care while creating spaces where young people can confidently walk in and access information and services tailored to their needs,” he said.

Mr. Mumin indicated that although the project had ended, structures established within the GHS and GES, as well as trained peer educators and community champions, would continue to sustain the gains made.

“Our impact is not only about knowledge, but building the confidence and agency of young people to demand their rights,” he said.

The Director of Programmes at MSI, Ms. Clara Nyarkoah Anim, noted that the achievements of the Y4H project demonstrated that SRH issues could not be addressed in isolation.

She said sustaining the gains made required intentional action, strengthened collaboration across sectors, and continuous solidarity with young people to take charge of their health and future.

“Embedding tools like the community scorecard, sustaining school clubs, empowering youth champions, integrating adolescent indicators into district plans, and advocating for policy scale-up will ensure that the progress we have made continues beyond this project,” she said.