Plan Ghana has unveiled its € 550, 000 Young Voices Project which aims at helping to reduce maternal mortality in Ghana by empowering children, the youth and communities to hold the government and other stakeholders accountable.

The Young Project, being funded by the European Union, is on the theme: “Enhancing Transformative Change, Good Governance and Accountability in Maternal Health Delivery.”

It seeks to resource children, the youth and communities to engage in collective action from the community to the national level to get the government and other officials to respect protect,and fulfil their rights.

The project will be implemented over a three year period in six districts in Ghana – Mfantseman and Abura Asebu Kwamankese in the Central Region, the Yilo Krobo and Upper Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, and the Sissala West and Wa West in the Upper West Region.

Plan Ghana is working in partnership with the Ghana Health Service, ISODEC, Prolink and Youth Action On Reproductive Order (YARO) to implement the project.

Mr Prem Shukla, Plan Ghana Country Director, said at the launch of the project in Accra, on Friday, that the project would empower young men and women in the six districts in the rural areas of Ghana to hold district assembly members and health service providers accountable for effective sexual and reproductive healthcare service and delivery.

The Country Director said: “Indeed, the Young Voices Project comes in to crucially complement our effort in reducing maternal mortality in Ghana and contributing towards the nation’s effort in achieving its millennium development target of 185 deaths per 100, 000 live births by 2015.”

Mr Wisdom Gidisu, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, said health was wealth, and a healthy nation was a wealthy nation.

Therefore, he said, Parliament would ensure that funds meant for the health sector were released on time.

He urged health professionals to treat children and young adults very well so that they would be willing to approach health facilities with their reproductive problems.

Mr Joseph B. Allan, Programme Officer of the European Union Delegation, said visibility was important in the execution of the union’s funded projects, adding that the European Union was in Ghana to help reduce poverty.

He said there was the need for all stakeholders to double their efforts to enable Ghana to attain a full middle income status.

Mrs Margaret O. Adufu, Deputy Director Nursing Services, Eastern Region Public Health Directorate, lauded Plan Ghana for the Young Voices Project initiative, which she said would go a long way to benefit the implementing communities since maternal health was one of the key challenges facing the country.