The Deputy Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Madam Gifty Twum Ampofo is hopeful a five-year strategic plan put together by her Ministry will help fight the high rate of teenage pregnancies recorded in the Central Region.
She indicated that as part of efforts to ensure the strict adherence to the five-year strategic plan, the Ministry would engage various stakeholders like the Ghana Education Service, and the Ghana Health Service to make reproductive health education core in the curriculum at schools.
Speaking to Citi News at Gomoa Potsin in the Central Region at the Annual Christmas Party organised by Kojo Asemanyi, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa East,the Deputy Minister added that in the unlikely event when young girls of school going age get pregnant, there is a strategy in the five year development plan for re-entry into school even after giving birth.
This she believes would help reduce the high rate of teenage pregnancies recorded in the region.
“It will help reduce the high rate of girls dropping out of school,” she noted.
“We have some Acts in the five-year strategic plan that deals with parents who give their teenage children to marriage whiles they are not ready,” Madam Gifty Twum Ampofo noted.
The Deputy Gender Minister further explained that there are also some toll-free numbers for the general public to call and report individuals who are caught in some act that tends to jeopardize the future of innocent children.
“There are some service providers who are readily available to deal with the situation,” Madam Gifty Twum Ampofo explained.
The Minister also advised parents to make it a duty to monitor the day to day activities of their children adding that this would help prevent the children from leading promiscuous life.
“The parents have a duty to check the day to day activities of their children to prevent them from leading bad lifestyle” the Gender Minister explained.
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By: Calvis Tetteh | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
