News
Teenage Pregnancy: Akatsi South among top 3 in Volta under 2024 half-year review

Statistics from the Akatsi South Municipal Health Directorate showed that the Municipality is among the top three Districts to have recorded increasing cases of Teenage Pregnancy for the 2024 half-year health performance review.
The figures saw Anloga District leading the chart with 15.3 per cent, whilst South Dayi and Akatsi South were joint second, recording an equal percentage of 15.0 per cent with South Tongu holding the fourth position.
This was made known during a half-year health performance review by health officials from the Akatsi South Municipal Health Directorate.
The figures further indicated some Districts in the region that have recorded some rise in cases relating to teenage pregnancy.
These are, Agotime Ziope 14.5, Central Tongu 14.4, Adaklu 13.6, Ketu South 13.4, Keta 13.2, Ketu North 13.07, and North Tongu, registering 11.4 per cent in that order.
However, the data also highlighted a few Districts that have recorded percentages ranging from 11.0 to 5.52 in that trend.
These are Kpando 11.0, Hohoe 10.91, Akatsi North 9.76, Ho West 9.3, North Dayi 9.28, Ho 7.69, and lastly, Afadjato South 5.52 per cent, respectively.
On Maternal health services, the Directorate, however, recorded a decrease in Antenatal care (ANC) registrants by 55.2 per cent in 2024 as compared to 60.3 between January to June 2023.
The review also highlighted a total number of 14 deliveries in 2023 under the ages of 10 to 14 years as compared to 6 in 2024, whilst 182 deliveries were recorded in 2023 as compared to 163 for girls between 15 to 19 years, representing 17 and 16 per cent, respectively for the period under review.
Further checks by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) also revealed that the Akatsi South Municipality has placed second after Central Tongu District, which recorded the highest teenage pregnancy cases, followed by Agotime-Ziope in 2023.
The Alarming situation, according to Mrs Justine Sefakor Alornyo, the Akatsi South Municipal Director of Health Services, required all stakeholders to rise to the task by ensuring pragmatic measures were put in place. On their part, she revealed that the Directorate would do everything possible to mitigate the challenge.
“We are doing community education as well as engaging the media platforms to fight the situation,” she said.
Mrs Alornyo also stated that her outfit had introduced a project dubbed ‘School Health Services’ in the Municipality, where adolescent boys and girls were educated on their health issues.
The trend, according to some stakeholders, who are members of a constituted Risk Communication and Social Mobilisation Sub-Committee (RC &SMC) members under the watch of the Health Directorate, pledged to offer their support by engaging the various communities through educational activities on the canker.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest adolescent birth rate of 97.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years. In Western and Central Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa, around 25 per cent of adolescent girls and young women gave birth before age 18. – GNA
News
Intake of ‘Gobe’ can prevent heart diseases —Nutritionists

Nutritionists have advised Ghanaians to eat more beans-based meals, including the popular local dish, gari and beans, also known as ‘Gobe’ to prevent heart diseases. They said incidences of obesity and cancer could be minimised with the regular intake of beans meals.
At a programme in Accra to mark the World Pulses ( Beans) Day on Monday, Mr Wise Chukudi Letsa, Nutritionist and Dietician, who spoke on the topic: ‘Beans: The Super Food for Healthy Living and Healthy Farmlands,’ admonished Ghanaians to include beans in their diets.
Mr Letsa said beans was rich in protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, irons and other nutrients and contained just a little fat. Mr Letsa, a Nutritionist with Lets Consult, stated that the presence of those nutrients in beans explained why its intake could prevent heart diseases and other ailments, hence the need to consume it regularly.
The event, dubbed: ‘Meatless Monday’ was organised by the Communications Initiative for Change (CIC), a Ghanaian non-profit organisation.
The ‘Meatless Monday’ is an initiative aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to reduce their intake of meat by taking in more beans-based meals on every Monday of a week.
It was launched after the United Nations in 2019, set aside February 10 to celebrate and encourage the consumption of pulses (beans) worldwide. This year’s celebration was hinged on the theme: ‘Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems.’
Mr Peter Agbovi, National Secretary, Chefs Association of Ghana, said a variety of meals could be prepared with beans, which include Waakye (rice and beans), Kose (beans paste made into cakes), Ayikple, Aboboi, Tuo Zaafi, Akyeke, and kakro.
He encouraged Ghanaians to consume more of those foods to stay healthy.
Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Executive Director, CIC, indicated that even if people could not eat beans-based meals regularly, efforts should be made to consume them every Monday.
He said that was the essence of the introduction of the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative. -GNA
News
Restore beauty of Kwame Nkrumah Circle area / State of Kwame Nkrumah Circle an eyesore!

Small size quarry stones fixed at open spaces under the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange was to leave the place open and free from activities of beggars and other activities of the homeless.
By the way the stones were fixed, it makes the area, particularly the VIP and Neoplan Station stretch of the Interchange, inhabitable by the destitute.
But a walk through the area currently suggest the opposite.
At the median where pavement blocks have been taken over by these homeless and destitute, the area has been turned into a hotel where a number of these unfortunate ones have comfortably laid their mattresses and other stuff to rest from the day’s activities.
They have crossed over to the SSNIT and Kaneshie Station area with their activities and have removed the quarry stones which were to ward them off the place to enable them find spaces to sleep comfortably.


The pavement blocks removed from different locations under the interchange now serves as foundations on which beds were laid and in some cases, mosquito nets erected.
Their continued presence is not only creating a nuisance for commuters but marring the beauty and serenity of the place.
Sadly, the activities of these deprived fellows have been ignored while the numbers keep increasing day by day.
The Spectator finds the development very worrying and calls on the responsible authorities to clear the area to restore the beauty and serenity of the area.
By Victor A. Buxton