OTI RCC, UNFPA AND HEALTH DIRECTORATE SENSITIZE TRAINEES ON TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND FAMILY PLANNING
The Oti Regional Coordinating Council, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Oti Regional Health Directorate, has organized a one-day sensitization program for beautician and dressmaker trainees on teenage pregnancy and family planning. The engagement, held at Bosatsu Hotel in Dambai, sought to raise awareness among young women about the causes, consequences, and prevention of teenage pregnancy, while promoting the use of family planning services in the region.
The event brought together dozens of female trainees, many of whom had dropped out of school due to early pregnancies and turned to vocational training as an alternative path to empowerment.Read More
In his opening remarks, Mr. Prince Latif Oyekunle, Assistant Director I and focal person for UNFPA at the Oti Regional Coordinating Council, urged the participants to take the training seriously in order to fully benefit from the knowledge and interventions being shared. He emphasized that the initiative forms part of broader efforts by stakeholders to improve the well-being of young women in the region.
Speaking to the media, Madam Veronica Kakah, a public health nurse and facilitator from the Oti Regional Health Directorate, explained that the sensitization was motivated by the increasing number of teenage pregnancies among young girls in the region. “We discovered that many of these girls become sexually active early, and teenage pregnancy has been a major reason why they drop out of school. This training is part of our commitment to ensuring they are not only aware of the risks but are also empowered to make informed choices,” she said.
Madam Veronica Kakah added that the Health Directorate aims to ensure that girls stay in school, complete their education, and become responsible citizens who can contribute meaningfully to their communities and to the development of Ghana. She further noted that the trainees, who are already learning trades to secure their futures, also need support to complete their training and ultimately care for themselves and their families.
The sensitization is part of ongoing efforts by the Oti Regional Health Directorate to expand family planning coverage and reduce the region’s alarmingly high rate of teenage pregnancies.
The initiative was lauded by participants, who expressed gratitude for the knowledge shared and called for more of such engagements to reach girls in remote communities.
