By
A.B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA
Aflao (VR), Jan. 14,
GNA – Mr Alexander Abban, Deputy Minister of Health Tuesday launched the West
Africa Health Organization (WAHO) cross border campaign for family planning and
HIV screening at Aflao.
Similar event, the
fifth edition of the campaign, was done at Kodjoviakope in the Republic of Togo
on Monday dedicated to improving access to information on HIV and family
planning.
Mr Abban said Ghana
was privileged to be among countries benefiting from the implementation of the
regional programme dubbed, “Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention in the
Economic Community of West African States region,” through WAHO.
He said hundreds of
people who crossed the border daily “have high need” for reproductive
health services, especially during travel times and hopeful the project would
address those needs and help reduce the spread of HIV and promote family
planning.
Mr Abban commended
civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations in Ghana for
creating awareness, addressing misconceptions and ensuring availability of
family planning trained service providers.
He said the
country’s Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) enabled extension of
primary care services across the country and that with the combined efforts,
first time ever in Ghana, more than one in four women and girls in their
reproductive age rate were using a modern method of contraception.
Mr Abban said the
2017 Maternal Health Survey reported that the use of modern contraceptive
methods among married women was 25 per cent, a third percentage increase from
the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey report of 22 per cent.
He said despite the
modest achievements, fear of side effects, misconceptions and inadequate
spousal support among others remained serious challenges that needed to be
addressed.
Mr Abban said that
was because family planning underlined people’s rights to determine the number
of children and spacing by preventing unwanted pregnancies.
He said it prevented
avoidable deaths and reduced the need for abortion, especially unsafe abortion.
The Deputy Minister
said HIV was no longer a death sentence and called for concerted efoorts from
all in the sub region to achieve agenda 90-90-90.
Dr. Kofi Busia,
Director General of WAHO, in a speech read on his behalf expressed the hope
that the project would help end the spread of HIV and other public health
diseases.
Dr. Patrick
Kuma-Aboagye, Acting Director General, Ghana Health Service also in a speech
read on his behalf, said health was everyone’s problem and called for renewed
commitment from communities across borders to achieve the target of 90-90-90,
adding, “no need for complacency.”
Dr. Archibald Yao
Letsa, Volta Regional Minister said increasing teenage pregnancy rate in the
Volta Volta and the country called for continued creation of awareness on
modern contraceptive use.
There were fraternal
messages from partners including, KFW- a German bank, UNFPA, USAID, and Planned
Parenthood Association of Ghana.
The Ghana launch
attracted traditional leaders, traders, health officials and policy makers from
neighbouring Togo and Ghana.
Dr. Joseph Kwami
Degley, Ketu South Municipal Director of Health Services told the GNA that
cross border activities like trading, commercial sex workers, men having Sex
with men and drug use were factors fueling the spread of HIV and family
planning Campaign.
ECOWAS and KFW are
supporting the project.
GNA