Some selected Journalists in the five regions of the North have undergone training in Sexual Reproductive Health and Right (SRHR) with emphasis on Comprehensive Abortion Care.
Organized by the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), the two days’ orientation intends to provide journalists with up to speed information on the current trends in Comprehensive Abortion Care.
Approximately 45% of abortions in Ghana are unsafe with 11% of Ghanaian maternal deaths due to unsafe abortions. Maternal mortality is the second leading cause of death among Ghanaian women. Some women experience complications from these experiences.
Despite the existence of an abortion law and a safe abortion policy in Ghana, the Ghana Statistical Service from 2009 found that 7% of all pregnancies are aborted and 15% of all women in the reproductive age group 15 and 49 years have practiced unsafe abortions.
However, the PPAG in collaboration with the media is working in varying approaches that sought to inspire and build the capacity of journalists to do evidence-based reporting of reproductive health issues in their local communities.
In an interview. the Head of Communications and Advocacy of the PPAG, Archibald Adams revealed the training sought to ensure journalists are aided with current information to improve their reportage on matters related to Sexual Reproductive Health and Right.
The event he stated was to also help in setting up a network of Reproductive Health journalists to help PPAG keep in touch with the media to enable them share ideas and experience to aid in the reportage of journalists.
Adams called on government to do more than just enacting laws and policies and ensure implementation and financing of those policies are paramount.
“What successive government have done is to quickly enact laws and policies, the challenge has always been with the implementation and then financing the implementation of these policies. So we have all the laws and as usual with Ghana we quick to sign to all the International laws and conventions, the challenge has and always been with the implementation.”
He further urged the political parties in the heat of their political campaigns to look at Sexual Representative Health Right not as a health issue but a development issue.
On his part, the resource person for the two days’ orientation, Kingsley Obeng Chere encouraged journalists in the five regions of the North to show more interest on issues surrounding Sexual Reproductive Health and Right at their local levels.
“We see it happening right at the community levels and journalists live at the community levels. Is not about representing foreign issues, is about talking about what happens at the local level so that we can deploy effective measures to combat all these challenges in the right way,” Mr. Chere reiterated.
He added “we have sign unto a of agreements both on the continent and at the global level. For us to make progress, it will demand effective attention at our local level so that much as we talk about making all things go well, we’re able to get the type of population that we can manage so well.”
Good job champ