Government has made commitments in supporting adolescents’ wellbeing, particularly, curbing teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDS among other health issues which are affecting such young people.
In 2023, Ghana agreed to the UN Secretary General’s Call for SDG Transformation Commitments at the SDG Summit 2023; and supported the 2023 Global Forum for Adolescents. A move which must see government make key commitments to helping the adolescent child.
It is against this background that Plan International Ghana held a National Advocacy Forum for Adolescents to position these young ones monitor such commitments and also make inputs into strategies and policies developed to support them.
This National Adolescent forum held by Plan International was held under the theme ‘What do young People Want’. It brought together key partners, students, key stakeholders, and government agencies to discuss existing policies and how to improve on them.
The forum, according to Plan International Ghana, offers opportunity to the gathered adolescent make inputs, question some of the policies and review them, according to what they want.
Speaking to our news team, the Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Constant Tchona says, the target is to make sure polices created for them are what they needed.
According to him, ‘All too often, the voices of adolescents remain unheard, their needs unmet, and their potential untapped. This is why a forum like this stands as a beacon of hope, a platform where the dreams and aspirations of our youth take center stage’.
Mr. Tchona added that ‘We gather here not only to listen but to truly hear and understand what young people want for their well-being, their future, and their country’.
Most of the stakeholders who attended the event indicated that the adolescence stage is critical such that their health and wellbeing must be prioritized, hence a call for more investments, or actions to promoting good health and quality training for such young people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says, various support has been extended to the Ghanaian authorities in ensuring quality healthcare services to adolescents.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Officer-in-Charge of the WHO, Dr. Frank Lule, indicated that “Over the years, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service in bolstering adolescent health services across the country. Through collaborative initiatives, such as conducting training needs assessments to building capacities of service providers, WHO has played a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of quality adolescent and youth-friendly health services”.
He added that the meeting must conclude with concrete declarations which will see them meeting their target.
“As we deliberate on the priorities and aspirations of young people in this forum, let us remember that our ultimate goal is to translate these discussions into tangible actions. By the end of this conference, it is imperative that we establish robust accountability mechanisms to track the implementation of our commitments. Only through concerted efforts and unwavering dedication can we realize the vision of sustainable development goals related to adolescent health and universal health care”.
