Accra, April 15, GNA - Dr Satyavathi Sackey, Executive Director of TeamCare, a women's development and health oriented non-governmental organisation (NGO), has attributed the high rate of teenage pregnancy and bad lifestyles among the youth in the country to poverty.

"Poverty is one of the root causes of the rampant teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases being witnessed among the youth," she said.

Dr Sackey, who made the observation when she was launching TeamCare in Accra on Friday, called for more family planning and sex education for the youth in order for them to take informed decisions on sexual issues.

"It is for this reason that we have launched TeamCare in order to help educate our women on more issues relating to their health and wellbeing," she added.

Dr Sackey said TeamCare, established in 1998 and registered with the Department of Social Welfare and the Register-General's Department in 2010, had undertaken a lot of programmes aimed at improving the welfare of women and the society. "We have undertaken medical outreaches for communities in the Central and Greater Accra Regions as well as churches and Police Depots," she added.

Nana David Larbie, Member of Parliament for Awutu-Senya Constituency in the Central Region, bemoaned the limited health facilities and urged government to support organisations working to boost health care delivery in the country. He commended TeamCare for the decision to make the wellbeing of women and children their focus and pledged the assistance of the constituency towards their course.