Ambassador commends government for prioritising adolescent health

Stephanie S. Sullivan, the United States Ambassador to Ghana, has commended the Government, its agencies, and media partners for making adolescent health a priority.

The Ambassador gave the commendation when she joined representatives from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, the Ghana Health Service, and the National Population Council to mark Season 5 of the megahit Ghanaian TV series, “You Only Live Once” (YOLO) at the Silverbird Cinemas at the West Hills Mall.

A statement from the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy on Thursday has said.

It said since 2016, the United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), had worked with the Ghana Health Service and the National Population Council and provided financial support to produce the YOLO series.

The statement said the series was part of the “Good Life, Live it Well” campaign that promotes positive health behaviours in a wide variety of areas to include reproductive health, malaria prevention, and nutrition through both traditional and digital media.

“Youth participation is vital to development and can contribute to more sustainable investments to end cycles of poverty, build resilient, democratic societies, improve health and nutrition outcomes and strengthen economies,” Ambassador Sullivan remarked.

The YOLO TV series was launched in 2015 by the National Population Council with the aim to educate youth on healthy reproductive behaviour and equip them with skills to deal with peer pressure and the other challenges that affect their everyday lives.

The series has millions of viewers in Ghana and around the world including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States.