Plan International Ghana hosts national advocacy forum for adolescents

Ghanaian

The government has pledged its commitment to supporting the wellbeing of adolescents, focusing on addressing issues such as teenage pregnancies and HIV/AIDS among young people.

This commitment stems from Ghana's endorsement of the UN Secretary General’s Call for SDG Transformation Commitments at the SDG Summit 2023 and its support for the 2023 Global Forum for Adolescents.

In line with

Read full articlethese commitments, Plan International Ghana organized a National Advocacy Forum for Adolescents aimed at empowering young people to monitor government pledges and contribute to the development of strategies and policies to support them.

The forum, held under the theme ‘What do young People Want’, brought together various stakeholders, including government agencies, students, and key partners, to review existing policies and explore opportunities for improvement.

Constant Tchona, the Country Director of Plan International Ghana, emphasized the importance of ensuring that policies created for adolescents address their actual needs. He highlighted the forum as a platform for amplifying the voices and aspirations of young people and emphasized the need to listen and understand their perspectives.

Stakeholders at the event stressed the critical nature of the adolescence stage and advocated for increased investments in promoting good health and quality education for young people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated its support for Ghana in delivering quality healthcare services to adolescents, emphasizing collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service in strengthening adolescent health services nationwide.

Dr. Frank Lule, representing WHO, called for concrete declarations to emerge from the forum, emphasizing the importance of translating discussions into actionable steps. He emphasized the need for robust accountability mechanisms to track the implementation of commitments, highlighting the collective effort required to achieve the vision of sustainable development goals related to adolescent health and universal healthcare.