Africa should tackle reproductive health issues with seriousness

African governments have been urged to tackle reproductive health issues seriously and with the urgency it requires to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mrs Aku Xornam Kevi, National Coordinator of the Society for Women against AIDS, said it is disturbing that the continent continues to be dogged by maternal mortality, unsafe abortion, teenage pregnancies and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

These, she noted, are major development challenges that could threaten and erode gains made towards realizing the development goals on health.

She was opening the 10th annual congress of the Youth Action Movement (YAM), the youth wing of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) in Kumasi, on Friday.

The two-day meeting, with the theme, “10 years of active youth engagement, success, challenges and the way forward,” is to sensitize participants on the structure and role of the movement and also build their capacity on advocacy.

Mrs Kevi encouraged civil society and health-based organizations to step up public education to reduce ignorance among the population with regard to sex and reproductive health matters and gave high marks to the YAM for the significant role it is playing to protect the youth from STDs and unsafe abortion.

Ms. Eugenia Sowah, President of the Movement, underlined the need to invest in youth development, saying, it is the way to go to grow the nation’s economy.

Mr. Ishmael Selassie, Project Coordinator of the PPAG, pledged the resolve of the organization to work together with all stakeholders to promote reproductive health.