The Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), in partnership with Citizens Watch Ghana and the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network, has organised the second edition of the Adolescents Radio Outreach Clinic and Community Forum in Sunyani, Bono Region.
The event, sponsored by ECORYS UK and Fondation Botnar, was held in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, Ghana AIDS Commission, Ghana Education Service, the Sunyani East and West Municipal Assemblies, St. James RC Basic School, and Service Radio 104.9 MHz.
More than 200 adolescents, parents, community leaders, local assembly authorities and partner organisations participated in the programme, which provided an interactive platform for open dialogue on teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and prevention strategies.
The panel was led by adolescent representatives including Ms. Rahima Umar Ishaq, Majority Leader of the Sunyani Adolescents Parliament, alongside Ms. Yvonne Adwoa Oppong and Ms. Makafui Esi Eyram Adagbe, both students of St. James RC Basic School.
The session was moderated by Ms. Betina Owusu, a Youth Advisory Committee Member of the Ghana Health Service, and Master Justice Wiawdo, also of the Sunyani Adolescents Parliament.
Expert perspectives came from Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bambilla, Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission for Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions; Mrs. Felicia Konadu, Bono Regional Health Promotion Officer; and Mrs. Josephine Yalley, Bono Regional Girls’ Education Officer.
The event was broadcast live on Service Radio 104.9 MHz and streamed on Facebook @Global Media Foundation.
Delivering the keynote, Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu, Chief Executive Officer of GLOMEF, explained that the Adolescents Radio Outreach forms part of the Resilient City for Adolescents (RCA) Project under the global Healthy Cities for Adolescents Initiative, funded by Fondation Botnar through Ecorys UK.
He noted that the initiative seeks to promote adolescent health, wellbeing, and active participation in city development, while addressing issues that undermine the future of young people. Mr. Ahenu urged adolescents to remain focused on education and make responsible life choices, cautioning that teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS can derail their aspirations.
Speaking at the forum, Mrs. Felicia Konadu, Bono Regional Health Promotion Officer, bemoaned the high rates of teenage pregnancy and STDs in the region. She identified irresponsible parenting, peer pressure, and social media influence as major contributing factors.
On his part, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Bambilla, Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission, described sexually transmitted infections as a serious public health threat affecting a large portion of the population, including adolescents.
He revealed that over 334,721 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana, with 11% being young people. He further disclosed that the Sunyani Municipality alone recorded 3,335 cases of HIV/AIDS in 2024. According to him, “the very factors that lead to teenage pregnancy are the same ones that cause HIV infection. The only sure preventive measure for young people is total abstinence.”
In their remarks, Mr. Simon Asore, Executive Director of Citizens Watch Ghana, and Mr. Edward Ayabila, Programmes Manager of GLOMEF, commended Fondation Botnar and Ecorys UK for their continued support in building resilient cities through adolescent-focused initiatives worldwide.
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