Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica) has launched a nationwide initiative to combat teenage pregnancy through expanded Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) education, mobilizing traditional leaders, media, youth groups, and civil society organizations.
The campaign, developed in partnership with Marie Stopes International (MSI), aims to bridge gaps in SRHR awareness, which advocates argue fuels broader socioeconomic challenges, including school dropouts and gender inequality.
At a regional consultation in Cape Coast themed “Empowering Champions for Productive Health: Influencing Policy Through Education and a Supportive Environment (ECHOES),” PNAfrica’s Programmes Manager Gilbert Boyefio urged collective action. “We must become apostles of SRHR education to drive change swiftly,” he said, emphasizing the role of grassroots advocacy in shifting cultural and policy landscapes.
MSI’s Director of Programmes, Clara Nyakoah Anim, highlighted alarming statistics: 13% of adolescents in the Central Region are pregnant, while 25% of senior high school-aged youth and 19% of primary school children remain out of education. “These figures demand equitable policy implementation, prioritizing vulnerable communities,” she stated, framing SRHR as critical to achieving national development goals like poverty reduction and quality education.
Representing the Central Regional Minister, Chief Director Bless Kwame Darkey reaffirmed government commitments to universal SRHR access, citing an existing national policy to ensure lifelong reproductive health services. He called for stakeholder collaboration to strengthen outreach, particularly in underserved areas.
The initiative emerges amid rising concerns over Ghana’s stagnant progress in reducing adolescent pregnancies, with cultural stigma and limited rural access to services perpetuating cycles of inequality. By engaging traditional authorities and political actors, PNAfrica seeks to transform SRHR from a niche health issue into a mainstream developmental priority.
Ghana’s push aligns with global efforts to integrate SRHR into sustainable development frameworks, though challenges persist. Critics note that systemic underfunding and conservative resistance could hinder impact, requiring sustained advocacy to convert policy pledges into tangible outcomes. As the campaign expands, its success may hinge on balancing community sensitization with robust government accountability mechanisms, ensuring SRHR education transcends rhetoric to empower Ghana’s youth.
