GHANA: PRESIDENT MARKETS FAMILY PLANNING
Ghana's President Kufuor has launched a new campaign, 'Life Choices', as a result of increasing population growth. Commenting on Ghana's greatest challenge, he said the current practice where families are not planned undermines the efforts to provide adequate health, housing, and employment for citizens.
He underscored the need for married couples to plan their
families.
He went on to say that the education of women holds the key to development.
He pleaded with the youth to take the campaign seriously for the plight of
street children had become a worrying phenomenon in the country.
The USAID Director in Ghana Dr. Frank Young submitted that the support for
voluntary family planning and productive health programmes are essential
components of US development assistance around the world. The USAID has
provided US$2.2m for the 'Life Choices' campaign.
According to Dr. Young family planning still remains low in the country,
with only 13% of married women using modern methods of contraception. The
'Life Choices' campaign will therefore be geared towards encouraging couples
to use modern contraceptive techniques at both public and private sector
delivery points.
He said the 'Life Choices' campaign would address the need for Ghanaian
women and their families to manage their fertility and determine the timing
and number of children they raise.
The Life Choices campaign is a private/public sector partnership between the
Ghana Social Marketing Foundation, (GSMF) and John Hopkins University Centre
for Communication Programs, Ministry of Health, the National Population
Council and other non-governmental organizations.
SOURCE: CCMC Pop Media, Africa News, October 18, 2001