Let's educate adolescents on family planning

Kumasi, Feb 27, GNA - Dr. Akwasi Yeboa-Awudzi, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Health Service, has advocated for family planning education for adolescent girls.

He said this was imperative as they make up 11 per cent of maternal deaths through unsafe abortion.

Dr. Yeboa-Awudzi was speaking at a day's sensitization workshop held under the theme: "Save the woman, save the nation", to create awareness about the causes of maternal deaths in Kumasi. Safe Motherhood Reproductive and General Health Promotion (SAMORGHEP), a local non-governmental organization (NGO) were the organizers.

He stated that if the adolescent girls were adequately aided to understand issues on safe motherhood and reproductive health, they could avoid unwanted pregnancies.

Mr. Samuel Sarpong, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, said the assembly was building a "mother and baby unit" at the Kumasi South Hospital to help reduce congestion at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

Mrs. Agatha Amoateng-Boahen, President of the NGO, said there was the need for collaborative effort to discourage women from having unsafe abortions.

She also counseled pregnant mothers to ensure regular attendance of antenatal clinic and supervised delivery.

The Reverend (Mrs.) Lovia Owusu Aseidu, urged pastors, prophets and spiritualists to refer maternal-related illness to the health facilities for treatment, saying they should not gamble with the safety pregnant mothers.

Ghana as a third world country, still grapples with high maternal deaths and still births. In 2007, there were a total of 996 maternal deaths nationwide and 10,565 still births.

GNA