Media urged to lead advocacy on reproductive health, family planning issues

The Executive Director of the Youth Advocacy on Right and Opportunities (YARO) a nongovernmental organisation in Tamale, Mr. Douri Bennin Hajei, has revealed that resistance to the access of Adolescent Reproductive Health and Family Planning Services by the youth is still high in communities despite several years of sensitizations.

According to the Director, stigma attached to family planning and reproductive health services, scares the youth away from going to health facilities to access the aforementioned services hence the need for more education.

He therefore urged the media which serves as mouthpiece of the people, to champion advocacy on the issues, to help minimise stigma surrounding it, and also increase youth access to the family planning and reproductive health in the communities.

"What we observed is that resistance to reproductive health and family planning services is still high," Mr. Hajei said

He noted that the organisation was implementing a number of youth led social accountability mechanism activities towards improving youth access to reproductive health services and family planning in some regions in Ghana

"Currently YARO is is implementing a number of youth-led social accountability mechanism activities towards improving youth access to reproductive health services and family planning inn28 health facilities in Northern Ghana specifically Sagnerigu Municipality, Nadowli Kaleo, Yendi and Sissaala East Municipality" Mr Hajei stated

"This project is supported by other partners under a USAID funded project called the MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership(MCGL) project. The project is training youth health volunteers who are leading the project implementation. The use of the Community Score Card in implementing this project is providing YARO and its partners the opportunity to understand the challenges of young people when it comes to accessing reproductive health and family planning services at the various health facilities across Northern Ghana," he added.

He indicated that through the sensitization of young people, YARO and its partners were reducing stigma that is related to the youth accessing reproductive health and family planning services, and appealed to parents and other stakeholders to support the youth who are willing to access RPH or family planning.

He also urged health institutions to make available adolescent corners in their facilities and also make it accessible to the youth, especially, the adolescents.

Mr Hajei advised adolescents, to avail themselves for family planning and reproductive health services rendered in health facilities to save themselves from STIs and unwanted pregnancies.

The MCGL project calls on the media to help sensitize our opinion leaders and the adults in our communities not to stigmatize young people in their quest to access reproductive health and family planning services.

The Youth Advocacy on Rights and Opportunities (YARO) is a citizen-led, Youth, Women and child Centred Non-Governmental Organization founded in 1999 The organization exist to promote the wellbeing and rights of women, the youth and children in Ghana through the design and implementation of innovative and culturally sensitive development interventions that meet the needs of the target groups.

YARO facilitates the growth and development of communities in the areas of Education, Health, Governance, Agriculture & livelihood, and youth empowerment. Our programmes benefit over 500,000 young people, women, children, and other vulnerable groups (PWD and PLHIV).

YARO engages stakeholders (Young People, Women, Ministry of Agriculture, Ghana Education Service and Ghana Health Service, Community leaders) to find solutions to challenges in vulnerable communities to bring about development.

Currently, YARO is recognized among the leading Citizen Centred Development organizations in Ghana with operational offices in the Northern, Upper West and Upper East, Savana and North-East regions of Ghana.