The Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, (AMA), Mohammed Adjei Sowah has called for the inclusion of Family Planning services in the National Health Insurance Scheme as well as increased government funding for contraceptives.
At the national launch of World Population Day in Accra, Mr. Adjei Sowah said in a bid to check the growth of Ghana’s population, family planning should take center stage in the national discourse.
He advised men to respect women and assist them to participate in decision making that involves childbearing.
The 2019 World Population Day is focused on Reproductive Health and Gender Equality for Sustainable Development.
World Population Day has been observed in the past under different themes, depending on the issue requiring global attention. The 2019 edition focuses on calls for global attention to the unfinished business of the International Conference on Population and Development, ICPD, a landmark conference held in the Egyptian capital Cairo 25 years ago.
The Mayor of Accra Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah believes the unfinished business of ICPD should be “maternal mortality, family planning and gender based violence”.
Executive Director of the National Population Council, Dr. Leticia Appiah highlighted the importance of reproductive health rights and services.
“If we want peace and security in Ghana in the next 15 years, we have to pay attention to reproductive health rights”
The issue of population growth became a global concern in 1987, when the world population hit 5 billion.
As a result, the UN General Assembly agreed that World Population Day be marked on July 11 each year.
Pupils from schools around Jemes Town -Mantse Agbonaa were the launch was held displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Family Planning is for everyone” and not just numbers but numbers with purpose ” among others, to drum home the importance of addressing population growth issues.
Story and photographs filed by Nathaniel Nartey
