Citizens should report child abusers – MOH

Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health, has urged citizens to report abusers of children and defend abused children to deter others.

He said a critical function of safe communities and societies is the protection of the vulnerable whiles through vigilance and courage they ensure their safety at all times.

When we fail to do this, our young people would not have safe spaces to thrive.

He made this remark in a speech read for him by Mr Hafez Adam, Head of External Health Cooperation, Ministry of Health, during the launch of 'Yenkasa' Contact Centre by the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana on Thursday in Accra.

He said society had failed to take its responsibilities to report and stand up for the abused child thereby exposing children to risky sexual behaviours and making girls pregnant as they became infected with sexual transmitted diseases.

Adding that, “lf we continue to look unconcerned, we together embolden abusers and violators of the rights and well-being of our girls and boys.”

The 'Yenkasa' Contact Centre by PPAG and supported by Global Affairs Canada is a Digital Contact Center to provide sexual and reproductive health information, counselling and services for young people in three Ghanaian languages; GA, Twi, Dagbani, and English Language.

The Contact Centre would be linked to other existing contact centres providing specialized services to ensure that young people received urgent response within a one-stop system.

Madam Wilhelmina Aklaku, President, PPAG, said the contact centre would enable adolescents to call, report and also seek support from professionally trained counsellors when faced with attempted abuses.

She said PPAG, for the past 54 years of its existence, had committed itself to the reproductive health well-being of every man, woman and young persons.

"54 years on, we are even more poised to continue in our leadership path to advance the country's process, policy and financing mechanisms that will continue to propel progressive population management for the economic transformation of Ghana," she said.

Madam Corey Huntington, Head of Cooperation, Candanian High Commission said, through the Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy, the Commission was committed to supporting access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health services and information.

Madam Huntington encouraged the youth to take advantage of 'Yenkasa' to ask critical questions on sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Madam Abena Adubea Amoah, Executive Director, PPAG, appealed for individual and corporate support in mobilizing social action and also address unmet needs of SRHR information and services.

For more information on 'Yenkasa', call toll free number 0800202010 or WhatsApp on 0245118228.