Upper east: Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has called on healthcare workers to maintain community-based services for pregnant adolescents, extending beyond the duration of donor-supported interventions. He emphasized the importance of home visits and psychosocial support in reducing maternal deaths and enhancing health outcomes.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Abubakari encouraged healthcare workers to continue utilizing the skills acquired, regardless of the involvement of development partners like UNICEF. 'Whether UNICEF is there or not, once we acquire these skills, we should be able to carry out home visits without limitations if we are to implement our programmes effectively,' he stated.
Dr Abubakari shared these insights during a two-day training programme organized by the Upper East Regional Health Directorate with UNICEF's support, aimed at enhancing the capacity of community health nurses, midwives, and mental health officers to address the unique health needs of adolescents. He noted that relying solely on health facilities could lead to increased cases of clients lost to follow-up, treatment defaults, and missed antenatal appointments, especially among vulnerable adolescents.
He highlighted that many pregnant adolescents avoid health facilities due to fears of stigma, discrimination, and psychosocial challenges linked to early pregnancy. Integrating mental health and psychosocial support into maternal healthcare is crucial to safeguarding the lives of young mothers, the Regional Director explained.
'Some adolescents hide their pregnancies because they fear stigma. This training is important because it equips health workers to address the psychosocial and mental health challenges associated with adolescent pregnancy,' Dr Abubakari stated. He also pointed out that healthcare providers have a duty to support adolescents who regret becoming pregnant, rather than judging them.
Citing the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, Dr Abubakari revealed that approximately 14 percent of antenatal care attendees were aged between 15 and 19. He warned against assuming that all adolescent pregnancies stem from irresponsible behavior, noting that some young women are legally married but still classified as adolescents due to their age.
He explained that adolescent pregnancies, even within marriage, pose significant health risks as many young mothers are not yet physically or anatomically ready for childbirth. These adolescents require counseling, close monitoring, and continuous support to prevent pregnancy-related complications and maternal deaths.
Dr Abubakari urged health workers to integrate adolescent mental health interventions into routine primary healthcare services to maximize the benefits of the Fee Primary Healthcare policy. He expressed confidence that strengthening the capacity of frontline health workers and reducing stigma surrounding adolescent pregnancy would enhance maternal healthcare delivery and improve outcomes for young mothers across the region.