The districts are Wassa East, Wassa Amanfi East, Nzema East and Ahanta West, which have been adopted by the UNFPA following the 2017 Maternal Health Survey's rating of the Western Region as the highest in terms of teenage pregnancy, with high burden in these four localities.

To address the problem, the GHS, in partnership with the UNFPA in May 2019 initiated a project for Adolescent Health and Development (AHD) Programme in the region with a key focus on the four districts. 

Mrs Sandra Kuntu-Anaman, the Deputy Regional Focal Person for Adolescent Health and Development Programme, Ghana Health Service, at a routine field monitoring of the UNFPA to the project sites, confirmed that there has been a significant drop in the current rate of teenage pregnancies, as well an improvement in the re-entry of teenage mothers into school.

She said the burden, which was highest (17.8 per cent) in the Ahanta West District among the four selected localities in 2017, dropped to 17.2 per cent in 2018, and subsequently to 16.9 per cent by mid-year in 2019, due to various interventions, saying with more education and retraining of health personnel, the problem could reduce further.

She attributed the current successes to the use of Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) tools to effect change in especially the youth, through the health clubs in Junior and Senior High Schools, and at the community levels, to provide key Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information to various age groupings between ages 10 and 14, and 15 to 19 years respectively.

She said patrons of the school health clubs, often met twice in a month separately with pupils and parents, during their Parent Teacher Association meetings, to share information on a wide range of health issues such as hygiene, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), teenage pregnancy, family planning, peer pressure and other negative morals of children, especially adolescent.

Mrs Kuntu-Anaman said there have been testimonies from parents and the communities of very positive changes in children with negative morals which is attributable to the extra education they receive at their clubs.

However, the major challenge remains the fact that many parents still feel shy to openly talk or discuss issues about sex and sexuality with their adolescent children, but then the education being shared with pupils and the communities, was making positive impact on perceptions, and that more pregnant girls and teenage mothers are getting empowered to return to school after, or while still nursing their babies.

Some teenage mothers at the Essamang Basic and Junior High School (JHS) near Daboase in the Wassa West District, in an interview with the GNA, said "we will not allow our future to be destroyed because we got pregnant while in school, but we will pursue our education with all seriousness order to attain our certificates".

The girls thanked government and Ghana Education Service for instituting policy guidelines for gender equality in education and also on pregnancy and schooling which gives second and equal chances to females to develop their potentials to curb the cycle of poverty.

"We have been receiving great support from all angles, including the head teacher, staff and our classmates," they said, adding that and although they face harassments of various kinds including teasing by some of their classmates, they would not be discouraged or give up on their education.

Mr Eric Wiredu, the Head Teacher and Ms Betty Doku Gyapah, a staff, who are both patrons of the Essamang Basic and JHS School Health Club, testified that the girls were doing very well academically despite the stress, but urged them to continue to heed to the advice and education being provided them.

They called for support in the acquisition of SBCC and audio visual materials to aid their work.

Mr Daniel Mensah, the Head Teacher of the Subri Industrial Plantation Limited (S.I.P.L ) JHS, Plantation Scofinat Ghana, at Daboase in the Western Region, said the School Health Club initiative, has been so helpful in reducing teenage pregnancies in the district.

"Initially we were skeptical about the idea to run such a programme for the pupils, but persistent efforts and engagements with experts from the GHS has yielded much understanding on the need and benefits of the project," he said.

Mr Mensah said three years into the institution of the programme in the school, the record number of pregnant girls have reduced and the pupils are beginning to exhibit improved uprightness in behavior, leading to enhanced academic work.

"This year, for instance, two of our girls who became pregnant, but got back to school after delivering their babies to write the BECE, got aggregate eight each and have gained admissions into Fijai and Mfantseman schools respectively," he said.

He said the school health club has also yielded very good outcomes such as making pupils, especially girls bold to report any form of sexual abuse or advances by teachers for proper redress.