The Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWE), has described the appalling surge in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and drug abuse among young adolescents in the Builsa North Municipality and Kassena-Nankana West District, both in the Upper East Region.
The organisation said if remained unchecked, it could spiral an unbridled harm to the growth and the general sexual reproductive health of adults and adolescents.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of a community engagement meeting at Suwarinsa in Sandema of the Builsa North District, Mr John Meekisho of FAWE Africa, who doubles as the Lead Finance Officer for the Sexual Reproductive Health Education (SHARE), a consortium project, said the community stakeholder engagement was organised to assess the impact of the SHARE project.
FAWE is part of the consortium, which also has WaterAid Ghana as partners, with Right to Play, serving as lead implementers, according to Mr Meekisho.
FAWE Ghana Chapter had for the past four years been implementing the SHARE project aimed to reduce to an appreciable level, some social issues, including harmful traditional practices, teenage pregnancy, forced and early marriages that afflicted the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of adolescents in four districts and municipalities in the Upper East Region.
They include Bongo, Kassena-Nankana West, Builsa North and Kassena-Nankana Districts and Municipalities.
Mr Meekisho brought to light that the Global Affairs Canada-funded project had FHI 360 providing technical assistance, “and from the interaction with the participants today, we have realised that some critical issues are coming up, and these include HIV and STIs”.
On that score, he mentioned that the organisation would have to “jaw-jaw” on scaling up and integrating its interventions to curb the emerging trend.
“The SHARE project, being implemented by FAWE Ghana and its implementing partners, has done a marvellous job on the issue of teenage pregnancy, harmful traditional practices, and child marriage. We give them thumbs up!” he commended
FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, SUWARINSA
