Northern Region records 6,907 HIV cases among youth in 2022 

Mr Ernest Obeng, Northern Regional Programmes Officer at the National Youth Authority (NYA) says about 6,907 youth in the Northern Region have been infected with HIV between January and early December this year. 

He said: “Between 2016-2020, Northern Region alone recorded 49,356 cases of teenage pregnancies.” 

Mr Obeng, who quoted the HIV infection figures from data of the Ghana Aids Commission expressed worry over the development and admonished the young people to express interest in the youth policy to identify areas that made provision for their health needs. 

He said this when he addressed youth groups, and civil society organisations (CSOs) from the Northern, North East, and Savannah Regions at a CSOs dialogue in Tamale. 

The Programmes Officer said the Authority had begun series of stakeholder engagements, formation of clubs, community outreach programmes and media engagements to sensitise them on the need to participate in the implementation processes of the youth policy. 

He indicated that the implementation of the policy would ensure effective sexual and reproductive health structures and systems to guarantee the health needs of young people. 

The event was organised by Ghana Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Alliance (GH SRHR Alliance) under the Power to Youth project and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dutch Government. 

It was supported by the National Youth Authority and had as its theme, “Catalyzing Actions on Provisions made for Adolescent Girls and Young Women.” 

Miss Yeri Nancy, National Coordinator of Power to Youth project, who also addressed the young people, expressed the need for them to actively participate in the implementation processes of the National Youth Policy to ensure that their needs were met. 

Source: GNA