Hundreds of youth in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality have embarked on a health walk in Bogoso as part of activities marking the 2019 National Youth Week, being organized by the National Youth Authority (NYA).

The walk, led by the Western Regional Director of NYA, Mr Anthony Baah, and the Municipal Director of NYA, Mrs Marian Acquaah Mensah, started from the Bogoso roundabout and ended at the local Methodist primary school park.

Master Eleazer Abanyin, a four-year-old boy, was the toast of the four-kilometre endurance.

"Keep the environment clean, “The youth is the hope of the future”, Ghana beyond the youth factor”, “Youth, remember your creator now” and “Facilitating youth development”, were some of the inscriptions on the placards carried during the walk.

Addressing the gathering, the Regional Director said, the essence of the "Youth stay healthy walk" was to build both the bodies and minds of Ghanaian youth fit and sound for national development.

Describing the exercise as successful, he also mentioned that it offered the NYA the opportunity to explain some of the initiatives of the President to the youth in the country.

Speaking on some of the initiatives, Mr Baah stated that, “We are developing the capacity of the youth through skills development, entrepreneurship and through information. They are the modules that we will launch in 2020.”

The week-long celebration which was on the theme: "Ghana beyond aid; the youth factor,” climaxed on November 1, with the African youth day celebration which involved the national youth parliament session.

Mr Baah urged the youth in the region to assist in the efforts to build their capacities to actively contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

The Methodist school park, where the "youth stay healthy walk" ended, also hosted a prior health talk, as well as breast cancer awareness creation.

Mrs Marian Acquaah Mensah, on her part, said the health walk was also to improve upon the knowledge of the youth about preventable health care and the avoidance of irresponsible sexual activities which could expose them to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s).

She sensitized the public particularly the youth, on the dangers on the abuse of tramadol and its related substances.

The Municipal Director urged all stakeholders, especially the youth, civil society, the media, traditional authorities, government functionaries as well as public servants to join and support in the fight against the menace.

Mr Mozart Kwaku Owuh, Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), bemoaned poor sanitation practices in the area and its negative impact on the environment saying, a recent downpour in Bogoso flooded all the streets of the town

He charged all shop owners and households in Bogoso to acquire refuse bins and dispose of their waste properly.