NYA sensitises adolescents on early marriage, teenage pregnancy

The National Youth Authority has organized a day's sensitization workshop for out-of-school adolescents in the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region on early marriage and teenage pregnancy.

The programme, which was sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund, was to help pupils and students who were out of school know the dangers associated with early marriages and teenage pregnancies and how to overcome those challenges.

They were asked to maintain a good relationship with their parents and pick good role models to guide them.

Mr Yao Sermodey, the Volta Regional Director of the NYA, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the youth could contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the country if they were given the necessary requisite training and mentoring.

Mr Anim Abdul Muttalib, the Municipal Director of Health, urged the participants to stay away from sex and focused on equipping themselves with skills that would make them become good citizens.

He said the possibility of them having unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases was high when they continued to engage themselves in unprotected sex and short "term partnerships", and urged them to desist from it.

Mr Patrick Jilima Chartey, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Krachi East, thanked NYA for organising the event to curb the menace that had been a major challenge in the District for decades.

He said the Assembly in collaboration with World Vision Ghana, had embarked on sensitisation activities to educate parents and children on the dangers associated with early marriages, resulting in 15.4 per cent reduction of teenage pregnancy in the area.