The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana has pledged continued backing for Ussher Hospital’s adolescent girls’ empowerment initiative, assuring staff of sustained resources to strengthen healthcare and vocational training for vulnerable young women.
Dr. Sennen Hounton, UNFPA’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, gave the assurance during a visit to the hospital ahead of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Health. He commended the dedication of the medical team, noting that their passion motivates UNFPA’s ongoing support.
The programme, which links adolescent mothers to services through ante- and post-natal clinics, provides family planning, mental health support, HIV and Hepatitis B screening, nutritional counselling, and gender-based violence interventions.
Beyond healthcare, beneficiaries receive vocational training, stipends, and start-up kits to promote economic independence.
One flagship project, “Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears”, launched in 2021 with partners including Prada Group and International Needs Ghana, has trained 30 girls in fashion design, with 10 graduates now connected to local fashion brands.
Dr. Philomina Bonsu, Medical Superintendent at Ussher Hospital, said UNFPA’s support has expanded adolescent health services beyond clinical care to include empowerment.
“We realised that many adolescents were school dropouts and some had substance abuse challenges, so we introduced the programme to strengthen their capacity and help them become productive members of the community,” she said.
Dr Bonsu noted that although beneficiaries received sewing machines, stipends and start-up support after training, many young people had expressed interest in other vocational areas.
“Some are interested in hairdressing, nail technology and other trades. We hope the programme will be expanded to cover these areas so more adolescents can benefit,” she said.
Dr Brown appealed for additional partnerships to help address the hospital’s infrastructure and space constraints.
Some pictures from the visit
