Lower Manya Municipal Assembly to Enact Bye-Laws to Minimize Cases of Teenage Pregnancy
As part of efforts towards minimizing the high incidents of teenage pregnancy in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, the municipal assembly has announced the enactment of bye-laws that will serve as the first step towards reducing cases of teenage pregnancy in the municipality.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Lower Manya Krobo, Hon. Simon Tetteh made the disclosure during the ‘Queens Valentine Bite’ program organized by the Queen Mother of the Lower Manya Krobo Traditional area, Nana Aplam II.
According to him, ‘plans are far advanced’ by the local assembly to put measures put in place to ensure that the enactment of the bye-law sees the light of day.
The Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern region recorded a total of 551 cases of teenage pregnancies involving girls between the ages of 10 to 19 years in 2017 as compared to 584 in 2016, Senior Midwifery Officer at the Lower Manya Krobo Health Directorate, Madam Evelyn Doku disclosed.
The Queen’s Valentine Bite was organized by the Paramount Queen of the Lower Manya Traditional area, Nana Aplam II which aimed at bringing girls of school going age from Primary school to Senior High School to educate them on the effects of pre-marital sex to mark the valentine day celebration.
The MCE said the bye laws when implemented will make sure school children are not seen outside their homes after 7pm, stressing that parents of children who fail to adhere to the bye-laws will face the law since the welfare of children is part of their responsibilities.
According to the MCE, the reason behind this action is to ensure that students learn very well to pass their exams.
On her part, the Paramount Queen Mother of the Lower Manya Traditional area Nana Aplam ll pledged the support of the traditional council to ensure that the bye-law, when implemented will work effectively. She added that the traditional council has already deliberated on the law and submitted their views on its merits and demerits.
Nana Aplam also pledged the support of the traditional council and said they will collaborate with the assembly to make sure that the bye-law work well for the benefit of all stakeholders.
The programme which came off at the premises of the Akro Senior High School attracted scores of school girls, traditional rulers, parents, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Lower Manya Krobo municipal assembly, Hon Simon Tetteh and other dignitaries.
According to Madam Doku, cases of teenage pregnancy in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality though on a steady decline over the last three years still remained a matter of concern.
Providing statistics to back to her position, the Senior Midwifery Officer disclosed that 613 cases of teenage pregnancy were recorded in 2015 as against 584 in 2016 and 551 in 2017.
This, she added brings the total number of cases within the last three years to 1,748, a situation she described as alarming and called for the need for the Directorate, the municipal Assembly and traditional leaders to create awareness for parents and their wards to help reduce the menace.
By Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org/austinofori.addo@mail.com
