Eastern Region ups effort to protect adolescent girls

Eastern Region has upped its effort at keeping adolescent girls in school through increased sexual and reproductive health education.

Adolescent health clubs are being set up in senior high schools (SHS) across the region to aid young girls to take charge of their sexual health.

This is being jointly spearheaded by the School Health Education Programme of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

Ms. Debora Babatunde, the Deputy Regional Education Director, speaking at the formal launch of the clubs in Koforidua, said it was a right step to provide protection for the adolescent girl to enable them to live their academic dreams.

She said everything must be done to discourage them from pre-marital sex so that they would concentrate on their books.

It required providing them with accurate information to have better understanding of sex and their sexuality through stronger collaboration between the GES and the GHS.

Mrs. Evelyn Owusu-Achaw, the Regional Chief Nursing Officer, appealed to parents to spend quality time with the adolescent girl-child to shield them from peer pressure.

That, she said, was important to prevent them from getting pregnant and sexually transmitted infections.

Police Superintendent Eunice Annor, the Regional Commander of the Police Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), counselled young girls to avoid visiting friends at odd hours.

They should also be mindful of the information they gave on social media platforms to people they did not know.