NHRC to intensify education on adolescent sexual and reproductive health

Navrongo (UE), Aug 23, GNA - The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC), in the Kassena Nankana East District in the Upper East Region, is to intensify education on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

This followed a research conducted by the Centre towards feasible interventions to improve on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in districts.

This was disclosed by Dr Abraham Hodgson, Director for the Centre, at a day's seminar organized by the NHRC in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service for District Directors of Education, Circuit Supervisors, Head teachers and civil society organisations at Navrongo at the weekend.

The study aimed at investigating the sexual and reproductive behaviour of adolescents in districts and to develop and implement a package of interventions to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

It was also to evaluate the impact of interventions on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, carried out earlier and examine community reactions to the interventions.

Among other things, the NHRC is to create a safe and supportive environment for adoptions of healthy behaviours by adolescents.

In line with the targets of the national adolescent reproductive health policy, the interventions would seek to include the reduction of unwanted pregnancy, prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, sexual risk behaviour and to enhance young people's access to and utilization of reproductive health services.

Dr Abraham Hodgson, Director for the Centre, noted that over the years the facility had been focusing on malaria, celebro-spinal meningitis, health service delivery, family planning and female genital mutilation.

He said consequently, the Centre had developed adolescent sexual and reproductive health project to study adolescent issues in the district.

Dr Hodgson said the project would involve using peer educators and adult mentors to teach adolescent sexual and reproductive health in schools, churches through film shows and games.

Dr John Williams, a research fellow at the Centre, presented an overview of the Navrongo adolescent health project and efforts at promoting of adolescent sexual and reproductive health in the Kassena Nankana District.

He noted that the programme targeted young people between ten and 24 years because most programmes of the Centre could not provide for the health needs of adolescents.

Dr. Williams mentioned that the project was to provide evidence on how to deliver adolescent sexual reproductive health information and services in rural communities and their impact on behaviour.

He disclosed that the intervention component would include community mobilisation and sensitisations, peer education with adult mentorship, school-based sexual health education, youth friendly services, and livelihood skills training.

Dr Cornelius Debpuur, Research Officer, explained that an earlier survey carried out by the project indicated that about 95 percent of young people in the area were not conversant with issues concerning their health and did not know that one could get pregnant having sex for the first time.