Women and Girls Are the most vulnerable during this pandemic- N/R population Officer bemoans

The resilient Awareness on sexual and reproductive health and rights and the vulnerability of women and girls during this Covid 19 pandemic and beyond is highly essential, in the fight against Sexual and gender based violence in our communities.

Globally, the pandemic is said to be derailing efforts to achieve zero maternal deaths, zero unmet needs for family planning and zero sexual and gender based violence which are necessary in meeting our SDG goals and the Ghana beyond aid agenda.

In a release copied to FiilaNews and signed by the Regional Population Officer, Alhaji Issifu Seidu Iddi on the post launch of the World Population Day Celebration, it attributed the unavailability of contraceptives leading to heightened risk of unintended pregnancies to the disruption caused by the Covid 19 pandemic in the supply chain around the world.

The National Population Council (NPC) and its partners are currently working on safeguarding the gains on sexual reproductive health and rights and the need to  Address imbalances in society and as well build a resilient health system for equitable development for all including women and girls.

According to the Maternal Health Survey 2017, in the northern region the percentage of women age 15-19 who are pregnant with first child is 4.2 percent while those who have begun child bearing is 15.8 percent as against the 3 and 14 percent recorded respectively at the national level.

It is against this backdrop that Alhaji Seidu Iddi is calling for all hands to be on deck to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls in our society.

This year’s Population day celebration was themed; “putting the brakes on Covid-19; how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now”.

Source:Fiilafmonline/ShawanaYussif