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Dr Adoma Dwomo-Fokuo
Dr Adoma Dwomo-Fokuo

Paediatrician calls for strategies to curb teenage pregnancy in B/A

A Paediatrician at the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital in the Brong Ahafo Region, Dr Adoma Dwomo-Fokuo, has called on parents, teachers and other stakeholders to map out strategies to curb the reported cases of teenage pregnancy in the region.

According to records, the region recorded 12,492 cases last year, and 12,981 in 2014, with a total of 10,544 cases recorded between January and September this year

She was speaking at a programme on adolescence sexual reproductive health, organised by Adwinsa Publications and Asuaman Kyere Community Mobile Library Project (AKOMPLIP), in Sunyani.

The programme, attended by about 600 junior high school (JHS) students from the Sunyani Municipality, was aimed at educating adolescent girls about menstruation.

Dubbed: ‘Abrefi’s red letter day’, the organisers of the programme used drama and talks from health experts to educate the participants on menstruation and adolescence reproductive health in general, and the need for them to be focused on their education to achieve their aim in future.

Have a dream

Delivering a talk on adolescence reproductive health, Dr Dwomo-Fokuo told the participants that it was normal for teenagers of the opposite sex to have feeling for each other, “But we need to control such feeling.”

She urged parents not to shirk their responsibility of educating their children on matters on sex, indicating that some JHS students, particularly girls who were waiting for their results, had been noted to be victims of teenage pregnancy in the region,

She attributed the situation to lack of sex education and streetism, among other factors, and advised the participants to endeavour to stay in school until they achieved higher academic laurels.

She admonished them to be careful of what they watched on television and listened to on radio, stressing, “Don’t let teenage pregnancy cut short your ambition”.

Krontihene of Sunyani

The Krontihene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bofotia Boa Amponsem II, who chaired the function, said Ghana had laws that dealt with adults who sexually abused children.

He, therefore, called on parents to refrain from trivialising abuse of their children by settling the matter in their homes.

Mr Kwaku Oppong Amponsah of Adwinsa Publications, organisers of the programme, explained that the programme was organised as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

He said it was unfortunate that some parents left the responsibility of educating their children on their sexual reproductive health on the shoulders of teachers, and called on them to live up to their parental responsibilities.

Mr Amponsah commended the community mobile library project for teaming up with Adwinsa Publications to organise the programme, and expressed the hope that the collaboration would go a long way to reduce incidences of teenage pregnancies in the region.

A book titled “Abrefi’s red letter day”, based on a true story on adolescent reproductive health, was launched and sold to the students to help enlighten them on problems associated with sexual reproductive health.

 

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