National hero's urged to dress decently

Mpreaso (E/R), June 17, GNA - Participants at a stakeholders meeting on adolescent health have called on role models of the country to dress decently and be reminded that the youth are always looking up to them.

The Kwahu South District Health Management Team (DHMT) at Mpreaso organized the meeting on Wednesday.

The participants were also of the view that while efforts were being made to promote the interest of the girl-child, the boy-child should not be forgotten, since that would result in the boys dropping behind their sisters which would not promote the expected national good. The participants, made up of traditional rulers, teachers, representatives of non-governmental organisations, assembly members, departmental heads and civil society organizations were invited to deliberate on issues affecting adolescent health in the Kwahu South District under a Ghana Health Service pilot project on adolescent health in the district.

Beponghemaa, Nana Tinawaa Beama II, called on parents to be firm in correcting their children when they go wrong.

She said it was unacceptable for parents to allow their daughters to dress half naked from the house to town and when their attention is drawn to the inappropriate way they have dressed, they respond, "I am aware".

Nana Beama called for the reintroduction of puberty rites in a refined manner to meet modern trends to help reduce premarital sex and the dangers it poses to the youth and the future of the country. Earlier in a welcoming address, the Deputy Director of Nursing in-charge of Public Health in the Kwahu South District, Ms Margaret Debrah observed that the adolescent was often left out, because they were not considered as adults and at the same time also not considered as children.

She explained that, this had made the adolescents to rely on their peers for advice, which sometimes led to premarital sex with its associated problems including Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), including HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and illegal abortions. June 17, 04