Cape coast: avrongo (U/E): Pe Denis Aneakwoa Balinia Adda Asagpaare II, the Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area, has called on men to become actively involved in the upbringing of their children to help curb teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and other harmful practices in society. He said fathers must not leave the responsibility of raising children solely to mothers, emphasizing that effective parenting required the joint commitment of both parents.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Paramount Chief highlighted the importance of paternal involvement during an engagement with officials from the Department of Gender, the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Ghana Education Service (GES), traditional authorities, and development partners. The meeting aimed to review progress made in ending child marriage and other harmful cultural practices in the Navrongo Traditional Area, forming part of a monitoring exercise supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Pe Asagpaare II urged husbands to support and respect their wives, noting that strong family relationships created a conducive environment for raising responsible children. He observed that girls often found it easier to confide in their mothers and called for stronger collaboration between parents to address challenges confronting adolescents.
He encouraged communities to sustain advocacy efforts through community groups, including existing village savings and loans associations, churches, and other social platforms, to educate parents and young people on the dangers of child marriage and teenage pregnancy. He also urged community members to promptly report cases of child marriage and related abuses to traditional authorities for appropriate action.
Dr. Edmund Nellic Nyanwura, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Director of the Ghana Health Service, expressed concern over adolescent pregnancies and maternal deaths among young girls. He disclosed that last year, seven girls below the age of 15 gave birth in the municipality, while 357 girls aged between 15 and 19 also delivered. Despite a decline due to intensified interventions, teenage pregnancy remains a significant public health concern.
Dr. Nyanwura noted that two maternal deaths recorded during pregnancy and childbirth involved 15-year-old girls, while another young girl died after attempting an unsafe abortion. The Municipal Health Directorate has expanded adolescent-friendly health services and trained health workers across facilities to improve access to reproductive health services, promoting abstinence and healthy lifestyles among adolescents.
Mr. Maxwell Adapesah, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Deputy Director of the Ghana Education Service in charge of Planning, said child marriage continued to affect schoolgirls, particularly in communities along the municipal boundaries. He explained that the GES had intensified school sensitisation programmes, established girls' clubs, and provided career guidance to encourage girls to remain in school.
He added that UNICEF had supported vulnerable girls with educational materials, including school bags, sandals, exercise books, and mathematical sets, to reduce their vulnerability to child marriage. Mr. James Twene, the Acting Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Gender, said the engagement was intended to assess progress made after the Navrongo Traditional Area pledged to end child marriage and other harmful practices. Findings will be documented and shared with UNFPA to inform future interventions and strengthen support for traditional authorities and stakeholders working to protect children and promote girls' education.