Wa, Nov. 26, GNA – Mrs Perpetua Mornah, Coordinator of Adolescent Sexual Reproduction Health (ASRH) for the Upper West Region, has stated that health facilities in the region were unfriendly to adolescents.

She said as a result of this attitude, adolescents find it difficult to disclose in detail issues concerning their sexual health.

Mrs Mornah who said this during the ASRH Regional Resource Team meeting at Wa, called for the establishment of separate adolescent service centers to cater for the needs of adolescents and their sexual reproduction health issues.

She also noted that the utilization of the few service centers were also low due to ignorance on the part of both the adolescents and their parents.

She said the meeting was to enable the Regional Resource Team on ASRH to come out with best strategies needed to revamp adolescent health activities in the region.

Mrs Mornah said the action which is the brain child of the Ministry of Health became necessary when the Ministry realised that none of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) captured issues concerning adolescents.

The meeting which was attended by some health personnel in the region, Heads of Departments and Agencies, Traditional Rulers, the media, NGOs and civil society organizations, saw the formation of an 11 member group to lead the way towards revamping of adolescent sexual health activities in the region.

The group was tasked to come up with an action plan and with the support of the other stakeholders solicit for funds for the implementation of the action plan to help mitigate the sexual reproduction health challenges of adolescents in the region.

Mr Ralph S. Hadzi, Deputy Regional Director, Pharmaceutical Services who spoke on behalf of Dr Kofi Issah, Deputy Regional Director in charge of Public Health, said adolescence was a very critical stage of every youth, hence, the need for proper education and guidance to enable them overcome their challenges.

He called on all stakeholders to give the group the necessary support to enable them lead the crusade towards eliminating adolescent sexual reproduction health problems in the region.