A scorecard assessment on the readiness of health facilities to provide adolescent friendly health services in Bosome Freho and South Dayi districts has been conducted by ARHR and some Adolescent Health Champions.
It involved Adolescent Health Champions in the districts, District and Regional health Directorates, Public Health Nurses in the Districts as well as the Adolescent Health Focal Persons from the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service. Facilities assessed in Bosome Freho were the Abosamso CHPS, Asiwa Health Centre and Nsuem No.2 CHPS; and those assessed in South Dayi were Dzake Health Centre, Wudome CHPS and Peki Government Hospital.
The assessment was done to ascertain how responsive and adolescent friendly these health facilities are in providing reliable information that can address the various challenges adolescents go through with regard to their sexual and reproductive health. The data collection outcomes will be used to address the gaps in adolescent health service delivery and take stock of adolescent experiences of health care in these districts. The data will be used to advocate for better health care service delivery for adolescents by working collectively with the necessary stakeholders to ensure mutually beneficial solutions.
Adolescents who form about 16% of the world’s population and usually in the stage of their lives where they experience a lot of physical changes with their bodies are often overlooked in ensuring that their health needs are adequately provided and met. Health facilities are mostly not accessible to adolescents; usually due to cultural, traditional or religions norms and stigmatization which tends to limit them from accessing vital information and services for their sexual and reproductive health needs.
A data collection tool was developed to be used for the scorecard assessment and the Adolescent Health Champions were trained on the use of the tool and empowered to collect information on adolescent friendly health services in the two districts. The data collected will be analyzed and gaps identified in these facilities with regard to adolescents’ ability to access sexual and reproductive health services will be used for advocacy to ensure adolescents are able to visit health facilities and have their needs met.
