Teenage pregnancy declines in Akatsi North as leaders call for sustained action

Teenage pregnancy in the Akatsi North District of the Volta Region has seen a significant decline, with the rate dropping from 12.49 per cent in 2021 to 7.79 per cent in 2024, according to the District Health Director, Timothy Mahama.

Speaking at a training organised by the Volta Regional Department of Gender in Akatsi North District for the Chiefs, Queen mothers, traditional leaders and religious leaders in the Ave Traditional Area on Thursday, June 19, 2025, Mr. Mahama noted that the improvement marks a notable shift from previous years when the district ranked among the highest in teenage pregnancy cases in the region.

This progress was attributed to sustained collaboration among key stakeholders, including the Ghana Education Service, NGOs, the Ghana Health Service, and community leaders.

The training was part of Phase 3 of the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, which supports the implementation of Ghana’s National Strategic Framework. Under this phase, traditional leaders were trained to combat harmful cultural practices and promote child protection in their communities.

The programme, held under Ghana’s National Strategic Framework to End Child Marriage, aimed to strengthen traditional leaders’ capacity to address child protection challenges. After completing earlier training sessions, traditional councils were tasked with implementing community-based action plans.

Mr. Mahama highlighted that intensive adolescent reproductive health education has played a crucial role. Civil society groups such as Good Neighbours and International Needs have conducted peer counselling and outreach sessions, while the Ghana Health Service has trained local women to serve as frontline caregivers and referral agents.

“We’ve strengthened our community support systems,” he said, “and the results are showing.”

The Health Director emphasised that maintaining this decline demands continued involvement from traditional and religious leaders.

He pointed out that though the government and NGOs have made strides, local leadership remains essential in changing attitudes and ensuring the enforcement of protective measures.

“Everybody must play their part so that we can have a good future for our children,” he remarked.

Torgbui Fodi II, representing Torgbuiga Adogo Agbalekpor IV of the Ave-Xevi Traditional Area also cited education campaigns and parental engagement as critical in reducing child marriage and teenage pregnancy in the community.

According to him, new bylaws now regulate behaviours such as loitering at night and the operation hours of eateries. The traditional council, he disclosed, has resolved to prosecute adults who engage minors in sexual activity.

“Anyone caught will be handed over to the police,” he warned.

The District Chief Director of Akatsi North, Madam Rubby Sitsofe Besagah, urged parents to be more involved in their children’s lives. She expressed concern about the rising number of boys under 16 engaged in Okada (motorbike taxi) operations.

While commending the gains made, the Volta Regional Director of Gender, Madam Thywill Eyra Kpe, has called for greater emphasis on youth empowerment when addressing sexual consent. She emphasised that consent must be understood as the power to say “no” rather than simply the legal right to say “yes” at age 16.

Madam Kpe explained that many young people lack the confidence and knowledge to make informed sexual decisions, despite being legally recognized as capable of consenting. “Consent does not necessarily mean saying yes,” she said.

“It means a young person has the power to understand and say no, especially when they are not ready.”

According to Madam Kpe, legal protections alone are not enough. “The solution does not lie in legislating the sexual feelings of children,” she said.

“It lies in educating them about consequences, boundaries, and healthy choices.” She urged stakeholders to view consent as a matter of empowerment, rather than mere compliance with the law, and to support young people with accurate information and moral guidance.

Mamaga Awutorlewe IV, Paramount Queen of the Xevi Traditional Area, used the occasion to raise concerns about how poverty drives some parents to indirectly push their daughters into exploitative relationships. She emphasised that when parents are unable to meet basic needs, they sometimes encourage children to copy their peers.

“This is the time to wake up,” she urged traditional authorities, pledging that her council would intensify community education and engagement to curb such practices.

The Volta Regional Director of the Department of Children, Mr. Israel Akrobortu, also underscored the importance of traditional values in child upbringing. Addressing the gathering, he noted that raising children requires communal responsibility.

He drew an analogy with maize cultivation to emphasise the care and nurturing needed at every stage of a child’s development. He cautioned that the emotional disconnect between parents and children, especially during adolescence, could expose them to external harm.

Mr. Akrobortu also warned against societal envy that sometimes leads adults to spiritually or emotionally harm promising children. He called on chiefs to use their influence to eliminate harmful practices and promote safe environments for youth. “It takes a village to raise a child,” he said, encouraging communities to restore the communal parenting spirit that Ghana once proudly upheld.

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