MALES ADVISED TO GET INVOLVED IN FAMILY PLANNING (PAGE 23, APRIL 17, 2010)

THE Deputy Ashanti Regional Population Officer, Mr Kwadwo Peprah, has called on males to get involved in family planning programmes.
He said there was the erroneous impression, within certain circles, that matters relating to family planning were female-centred.
Speaking at the regional population advisory committee meeting in Kumasi, Mr Peprah stated that the active participation of males in the programme would advance its success for the good of the nation.
Among issues discussed at the meeting were agrochemicals and their health implications on the population, population and noise making, briefing on the 2010 population and housing census, sexual assaults in schools, sanitation in public schools, and male involvement in family planning.
Mr Peprah said the regional office of the National Population Council (NPC) was undertaking a number of population related activities aimed at bringing sanity into the system.
He stated that last year, his outfit undertook various activities including workshops and seminars on integration of population variables into development planning, and the repositioning of family planning.
Mr Peprah called for effective collaboration between the various departments and the NPC to ensure that the regional population advisory committee functions effectively.
He said his outfit would continue to undertake programmes that would bring hope to the people.
The Deputy Regional Co-ordinating Director, Mr Emmanuel N. Num, stressed on the importance of the committee to the development of the region, and called on the various departments in the committee to discharge their duties with seriousness.
“We all have to bear in mind that what we do as officers of the various departments would have a bearing on population activities,” he said.
Mr Num also asked the departments to collaborate effectively with the political authorities for financial and other resource support to implement their programmes, instead of constantly citing financial difficulties as preventing them from carrying out their activities.
Mr Num warned against the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, saying they could be a threat to human lives.